Product Description

Our Troth is the single most comprehensive book available on the reborn religion of Heathenry -- the pre-Christian religion of the Germanic peoples. First published in 1993 but out of print for years, Our Troth is back in print, featuring updates and additions from its original compiler, Kveldulf Gundarsson, and from many other Heathen writers, all edited by well-known author Diana L. Paxson. Volume 2 covers the Heathen holy year, lore and rites for the major holidays, and ways to work Heathenry into every facet of life. It includes an extensive glossary and reading list for further study.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #296406 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-07
• Released on: 2007-08-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 598 pages

Customer Reviews

It's not just for nature lovers
It seems like ages I've been waiting for the much-anticipated 2nd edition of Our Troth. Volumes one and two are formidable tomes, each approaching 600 pages. It took me a while to digest the first, spending much time cross referencing with other works in my library.

Imagine my surprise when turning the pages in the second volume's chapter one, I thought I had accidentally picked up an environmentalist's manual. While I fully grasp the holiness of our earth and our connection with nature, wonderfully articulated in the first few pages, I can't quite seem to align myself with the contention we MUST seek out the wild, and not merely perceive it, in order to truly understand the troth (page 6). And not just any wild - the wild of our ancestors: wood and lake and sea (pages 7 & 9).

Continuing further into chapter one, I was greeted by an essay needing to be accompanied by Der Fröhliche Wanderer playing in the back ground. It's an Asatru elder's account of his trek in a rugged mountainous region near Phoenix, AZ, which is where I happen to live. On page ten he points out the "noxious" and "foul" attributes of the "mechanical conditions" of the city's "existence." The elder needs to be reminded that our ancestors also existed amongst mechanical conditions of their own making and the detrimental consequences of fires used for heating, lighting, cooking and industry even in small villages are a matter of historical record.

Once you get past chapter one and presume modern city dwelling industrialists aren't excluded, the remaining 563 pages of wisdom and advice are indeed for all kin of the Northern god/desses. These two volumes were a long time in the making, a long time waited for, and now they're here; both are a rewarding treasure for the Tru folk. Though having read both, there's not a week that goes by I don't pick one up for reference or inspiration.

Comprehensive, scholarly, and practical.
I was wondering how the excellent First Volume would be followed up. Rarely are sequels as good as the original. However, this volume really continues the scholarly yet accessible style of the first. While the first covered the history and lore, this covers the practicalities of following an active Heathen life.

Unlike many earlier popular manuals, it does not seek to invent Heathen doctrine or ritual. It instead discusses very comprehensively every issue likely to arise in life, ritual, and community, with a focus on both common sense in the modern world, and the historical usages in the literature.

From weapons and alcohol at gatherings, to same sex partnerships, each facet of Heathen life is viewed both from the old sources, and the modern realities, creating a sensible and workable approach to being a Heathen without making oneself irrelevent or hostile to the modern world.

The two volumes together are the most useful and complete source of Northern Heathenism I have seen. I suspect they will become the foundation course for the majority of new Heathens in the future.

Sweyn
The Rune Primer
True Helm

Great book
If you want to understand the practice of Asatru this book as well as the first volume are where you want to begin. I read a bunch of other books on Asatru before reading Our Troth. I would recommend skipping to Out Troth.

I just want to make a comment on that Pedophile review. The guys off his rocker. But don't just take my word for it, buy the book and decide for yourself. I could see pedophiles being attracted to Christianity because the religion is full of patriarchal authorities that can easily abuse the trust placed in them to commit crimes. Asatru is not setup in this manner and so they would not benefit from coming to Asatru. There is no acceptance of pedophilia in Asatru. Members of this faith also have a more severe outlook on betrayal than Christianity.