Paper short abstract:

The paper addresses the use and image of Old Norse religion as a symbol for “connectedness” and as a contrast to what is imagined a loss of relationship to nature and history among contemporary Heathens.

Paper long abstract:

A common theme in the forms of spirituality expressed by contemporary Pagan and Heathen forms of spirituality is the idea of reclaiming a sense of connection, be it to nature, culture, history or in more abstract terms. This theme of reclaiming a connection is a central part of the appeal of festivals like Midgardsblot and a recurring theme in the answers participants give as to what draws them to the festival. This paper will present how this is presented often in a form of neo-primitivism that becomes symbolic for a connection that has been lost in the modern world. The paper will address how the neo-primitivism of Heathens, both by artists and audience, are an expression of a cultural critique that addresses a sense imagined lost connection, that reject modern technology yet at the same time are immersed by it, being a movement that is celebrating local identities and yet are a global movement that often transcends local and regional identities. The paper will argue that modern Heathenism in their use of references to “local” cultures are based on a use of the construction of Old Norse culture as a symbol of something “authentic” and connected that appeals to people who have no connection to Scandinavia but for who it becomes a representation of connection. But focusing on the image of Norse culture the paper will seek to address new ways that Heathens relate and address to Old Norse culture.