Paper short abstract:

This paper explores a new religious movement in Denmark (Forn Siðr) that draws inspiration from the Viking era. It considers the relationship between this official religion and Viking reenactment, as a means to examine Danish attitudes about religion, leisure, creativity and national identity.

Paper long abstract:

In Scandinavia today, a new religious movement has emerged that draws inspiration from the Viking era and attempts to reconstruct a form of Viking religion. Forn Siðr, which began in 1997, is the largest such community in Denmark. Forn Siðr is relatively small in size, with approximately 600 members, and appears to be growing in popularity including gaining official recognition as a religion from the Danish state in 2003. This paper considers the implications of this movement having acquired the status of an "official" religion, and how members of Forn Siðr conceptualize their beliefs and practices in relation to other, long-established, religious institutions in Denmark. It also considers the relationship between Forn Siðr and Viking reenacting groups who are also popular in Scandinavia today. While Viking religions and Viking reenactment share some common interest in an historical era, they do not, interestingly, overlap significantly in terms of membership or share much in terms of orientations toward religious and spiritual beliefs. Indeed, in many respects these two contemporary movements are at odds with one another in terms of views on appropriate uses of history in crafting contemporary practices. Considering the reasons why people are drawn to both Viking religion and Viking reenactment, this paper attempts to offer insight into contemporary attitudes in Danish society toward religion, leisure time, creativity, and how these facets of personal identity articulate with people's conceptions of national identity.