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What alternative word would you prefer to be used? The Norse didn't have a name for their religion before encountering Christianity.
by danans 3y ago
What alternative word would you prefer to be used? The Norse didn't have a name for their religion before encountering Christianity.
- riffraff 3y agoI guess one could use the name of the population (Norse? Danes?) or the specific deity or something associated with it. E.g. we refer to Greek or Roman temples rather than Pagan ones. We also say Apollo's Temple, or Solomon's temple. I guess "pagan" is a fallback for lack of more precise names. (I didn't notice it in the title at all until GP's comment, I just realized now this is an interesting oddity)
- mongol 3y agoToday, the Swedish word for their belief is asatro, where as is male deity from the era in question and tro is belief. (Female deity of same era is asynja)
- vidarh 3y agoAsatro in many places has a strong negative connotation due to partially being coopted by racists. I've encountered more purported believers in Asatro who are neo-Nazi than not. They may well be a small minority for what I know, but they are vocal, and so it's a term that's tricky.
- mongol 3y agoThat is a form of historical appropriation that we should not just blindly accept. The word originates in the 1820s and the word as is much older. I for one will use it in its original meaning and encourage others to do as well.
- vidarh 3y agoI get that sentiment, though I feel it's a bit of a losing battle, because it also means you may often need to contextualize what you mean if you want to avoid misunderstandings
- mongol 3y agoI have not felt that, now I don't use the word asatro often but for example in this thread I believe the room for misunderstanding is minuscule.
- hutzlibu 3y agoIs it really refering specifically to a male deity? I thought it refers in short in general to the Æsir, one of the principal pantheons, with male and female gods https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86sir https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86sir
- mongol 3y agoIt is what it said when I looked it up in the Swedish Academy's thesaurus. But perhaps it can differ. https://svenska.se/so/?id=102892_1&ref=kcnr419785 https://svenska.se/so/?id=102892_1&ref=kcnr419785