How Many Books Does One Heathen Really Need?

Something that many people new to Heathendom ask is "are there any books I can read on the subject?" The regularity of this question has led many to produce a university-esque reading list that is sometimes suggested almost as "required reading", if one is to be taken seriously as a Heathen.

Of course, just as Heathendom is not homogeneous, no two reading lists are identical. Each compiler will have their own biases and will praise and criticise various books, authors and, indeed, translators. Some might even warn others off entire publishers. All this will combine to give the newcomer a sense of information overload.

Heathendom has gained something of a self-imposed reputation for being "the religion with homework" but, really, it is an unnecessary reputation. A more intellectually honest thing to state is that any conversion requires effort. The vast majority of Heathens today are converts. They were not born and raised Heathen and, as such, have had to undergo a process of shifting to a new religion. Most likely, they converted from an Abrahamic - specifically Christian - informed culture. Even if they were raised in a non-religious way, they likely were (and are) living within a society that has had centuries of heavy Christian influence. Because of this, there is a need for the convert to learn their way around the newly adopted religious worldview.

For most people, the easiest way to learn their new religion is through immersion. Unfortunately, Heathendom has yet to what could be described as a critical mass anywhere - Iceland is said to have the highest Heathen population in terms of percentage of total population, and recent figures place Iceland's Heathen population at around 1% of the total. As such, immersion is all but impossible. Instead, people have to find other ways to become familiar with Heathendom. The most accessible way to do this, for many, is through the internet and social media.

A quick internet search on the term "Heathenry" (the most widely used term for the modern religious movement based on Pre-Christian Germanic religious-cultural practice and belief referred to in this post as "Heathendom") will give a diverse array of sources that each provide more questions than definitive answers. This can be very daunting to someone with little prior knowledge of the subject, which is why many turn to online fora, such as social media sites. The Heathen presence on such sites is typically divided on the subject of knowledge. Some Heathens will stress the importance of reading certain key texts, be they (favoured) translations of historical manuscripts or modern works written either by academics or Heathens. Others will maintain that personal "feeling" or instinct is what matters.

The idea that personal feeling or instinct is equal to (or greater) than actual established knowledge and study is, frankly, ludicrous. No matter what a person feels is right, the facts will remain unchanged. as such, it is important to have a foundation of knowledge on which to base your understanding of Heathendom. Unfortunately, there is no single published text that is a satisfactory "go to" introduction to Heathendom. This is what causes people to make many different suggestions of what to read.

I propose an alternative to this "homework". Not everyone will have the same level of time, dedication, inclination, or even ability to read every suggestion. And that is absolutely fine. My proposal is that, rather than reading "all" the sources, people can learn from others. This requires two things: those that study be prepared to also teach what they know, and those that have not studied be prepared to learn from those that have.

As previously mentioned, there are a lot of different sources for people to study and some of those sources contradict each other. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Heathendom is not a homogeneous religion, but actually a broad religious umbrella with various denominations and approaches. As such, it is entirely reasonable to learn from one person, even when what they have to offer disagrees with what someone else is stating.

This requires a certain level of personal discernment as to which best aligns with your inclinations, but it will be a hugely rewarding experience that can only help Heathendom grow and advance, as a whole.