Q: What is Vanatru?

A: The word Vanatru is a neologism that means "true to the Vanir", which came into usage in the 1990s.  The term Vanatru is used to describe the religious practice of those Heathens or Pagans who

-have one of the Vanir as a patron - Frey, Freya, Nerthus, and/or Njord - or one of the Deities speculated to be Vanir (e.g. Ullr, Herne, Holda)

or

-relate more to Gods considered Vanir, than Aesir, whether or not they have a formal patron

Some who identify as Vanatru worship only the Vanir (for various reasons), but most who identify as Vanatru worship the Vanir primarily and the Aesir secondarily.

N.B.: Many modern Anglo-Saxon Pagans use the neologism Wenan to refer to the Gods known as Vanir to the Norse, and refer to their religion as Wen-Troth.


Q: Why not just call yourselves Asatru?  Asatru means "true to the Gods", and the Vanir are the Aesir.

A: For starters, only some of the Vanir have joined the Aesir: Frey, Freya, and Njord.  The world of Vanaheim did not cease to exist following the Aesir-Vanir war.  Besides Frey, Freya, and Njord, in the opinion of this author, there are other Deities that are Vanir.  Nerthus is only briefly hinted at in the Eddas and not by name unless we consider Her to be the same Goddess as Jorð, however She was worshipped by the Angles among other tribes.  Several Vanic Heathens have corroborated personal gnosis and made a list of Deities known to Heathenry who are suspected to be Vanir such as Sif and Idunna, as well as regional Deities like Herne and Nehelennia who also seem to fit the Vanic type.

Moreover, Frey, Freya, and Njord going to live among the Aesir and allying with Them does not change who They are and where They come from.

While this author is aware the term Asatru originally meant "true to the Gods" and was inclusive of both the Vanir and the Aesir, over the last decade (2000s) the term has been used increasingly to mean "true to the Aesir".  Many (though not all) Asatruar tend to focus on Odin and Thor primarily and the Vanir secondarily.


Q: Didn’t it say in Voluspa that following the war, the Gods decided who would be given tribute?

A: Yes, it does say that in Voluspa.  This passage from the Voluspa is often cited as the basis for the argument that the truce made between the Aesir and Vanir means the Vanir should not be regarded separately and there is no need for Vanatru as a separate focus in Germanic Paganism.

To a certain extent, one can see why this argument would be made.  While Vanaheim continued to be its own world and was not absorbed into Asgard, many feel the overwhelming majority of the Vanir who live in Vanaheim have names lost to us with time, and are largely unconcerned with interacting with humanity at this time and receiving worship.  There are a few speculated reasons for this, and the most common speculations are that the Vanir withdrew Their favour when the Aesir religion became dominant, that the Vanir are really big powers of nature more concerned with the cycles of nature than with the lives of people, and that we moderns for the most part cannot approach the Vanir as a whole until we "get right with the planet".  Those who are concerned with maintaining a connection with humanity, we have names for, whether They are known to be Vanir or counted Vanir by marriage or adoption, or suspected to be Vanic in origin. 

As of late there does seem to be a few Vanatruar who have been given access to Vanaheim and the host of unnamed Vanir, and the information of these experiences is beginning to be shared with the public.  However it is probable it will not become a common experience.

With that said, citing the passage in the Voluspa as reason why "Vanatru is not a real religion" is a flawed argument.

For starters, the Eddas were written down 200 years after the conversion.  They were from a Christian perspective and not meant to be used as liturgy.  We don't know how literally to take the account, but we know this much: history is always written from the perspective of the conqueror/s (as one example, the Bible demonized the polytheistic Semitic tribes).  It seems that the worship of the Vanir was indigenous to northern Europe (see below) and suppressed by invaders bringing the Aesir religion with them, and while some beliefs and practices were kept, much was lost.  The account of "deciding to who would go the tribute" may be factually true, or it may be history written from the perspective of the conquering Aesic religion.  We don't know how the Vanir actually felt about it, or even how extensive this proclamation was.  It may have been true of Asgard only, as one example.

This much we know: religion in the Northlands was not "pan-Germanic"; practices varied widely from tribe to tribe, household to household.  There was no ancient "Asapope" giving proclamations as far as what all Teutons should do.  Curiously, there was no Aesir/Vanir dichotomy on the continent of Europe, what you saw rather was a focus on one Deity or a pair of Deities who were revered as ancestors and/or guardians of a tribe.  Through the accounts of Tacitus and other historians, it seems that the worship of Vanic Gods like Nerthus and Ing, and Vanic traditions such as the wain procession, were carried on all over the continent of Europe.  Thus it seems these tribes were, in a sense, "Vanatru".

Finally, regardless of what the Eddas said 800 years ago, we live in the here and now.  Much has changed since the lore was recorded.  One of the things that has changed is we now have the technology to destroy ourselves and our planet - Nerthus Herself - is in a state of crisis like never seen before.  It makes sense that at such a time as this, the Gods of the Vanir would be calling forth a movement focused on Their worship, to help bring things to balance, and because They are Gods, They will do this whether other humans approve or not.


Q: How do Vanatruar feel about the Aesir?

A: Most Vanatruar (but not all) view the Aesir as separate but equal Gods, and give Odin and His kin Their due on the holytides and as it is appropriate to do so.  Some Vanatruar do not worship the Aesir at all, for various reasons, whether due to lack of personal connection with the Aesir, or a bad experience with one or more of the Aesir Gods, being asked not to by the Vanir, etc.  Whether one does or does not worship the Aesir, we are polytheists and if we recognize the Gods as individuals we will realize different people deal with the Gods differently, and thus the Aesir are not bad or wrong - just different. 

For those of us who do not feel kinship with the Aesir, and may even wish to keep Them at a wide berth, most of us still do not wish to bash or defame Them as it's bad manners to disrespect Gods, and any Vanatruar who goes on anti-Aesir tirades is not speaking for the majority of us.


Q: How many people practice Vanatru?  Where can I find Vanatru lore?

A: It is unknown how many people practice Vanatru, however this much is certain - at present, Germanic polytheism is a minority within Paganism, and we are a minority of a minority (although it does seem we are growing in number).  Part of what complicates the matter of establishing a statistic is that (to this author) the bare minimum criteria for someone to call themselves Vanatru is a focus on the Vanir, worshipping Them primarily (if not exclusively).  Beyond that, worship of the Vanir can be done in an Asatru format, a tribalist format, or even a Wiccan or Druidic format.  Since most Germanic polytheists focus heavily on the Aesir or see the Aesir and Vanir as a blended pantheon, the idea of Vanatru is considered highly controversial and most of us who publicly identify as Vanatru are independent free-thinkers enough that we are, when found, at best de-centralized and don't agree on everything.  For example, some of us consider Vanatru to be its own separate religion that re-claims and explores the history and mysteries of the Vanir; some do not and are more or less 'generic Heathen' with one of the Vanir as Their patron.

With regards to 'Vanatru lore', the short answer is there is no such thing.  We have a few surviving myths featuring the Vanir Gods, which were heavily coloured by Snorri's Christian bias.  We have a few surviving stories of historic people who were devoted to one of the Vanir (usually Frey).  However, we have no Vanic equivalent of the Sagas and Eddas.  We have archaeology that points to a progression of pantheons in the Northlands, and recorded folk customs which seem like a survival of Vanic practice, but short of building a time machine we will never know for sure.   With that said, for many who identify as Vanatru, the most relevant thing is the direct experience of the Vanir in the here and the now.  The only thing we have close to 'Vanatru lore' is the corroborated gnosis of some who work with the Vanir and perceive Their influence in the world to be a certain way.  While that might not be good enough for people who want heavy documentation and citation, our religion is not a fossil, it is alive and well. 


Q: What makes Vanatru so different?

A: It is often said that the Aesir are the Gods of civilization and the Vanir the Gods of nature, and while this is basically true, it is also a gross oversimplification of the Powers and Their working in the worlds (as the Aesir also have connections to nature, and the Vanir to the preservation of tribal structures). However, most Vanatruar see Frey's family as being inherently different from Odin and His kin, and seek to explore that and celebrate with rites other than the standard Heathen rites of blót and sumble (or in addition to), including (but not limited to) magical workings, sacred sexuality, and attuning with the elements.

Many Germanic polytheists have a tendency to treat the Gods all the same, with the same offerings and ritual format given to all.  With most who identify as Vanatru, there is an effort to approach the Vanir on Their own terms, with Their own rites, exploring Their own mysteries and Deity culti.  By extension, some of us feel called to Druidry or Witchcraft as a natural expression of Vanir-worship as made relevant and accessible for the modern day.   The Asatruar is called to reconstruct the practices of the Norsemen; while some Vanatruar are reconstructionists, many of us are not, as the essence of our religious experience is based on place and presence - being here in the world we live in, and taking things as they come, not by our assumptions of how they 'should be'.