what to do

Much of what we know about the myths of Heathenry comes from the later Scandinavian/Icelandic sources written down by Christian monks and most likely embellished with Christian themes . Anglo Saxon and Germanic lore was also written down by either Christian monks or Roman scholars . The pagan Romans had a annoying habit of comparing and adding the attributes of their own gods to other peoples deities who shared similar areas of dominance ( I.e. Jupiter and Thor ) and as already said , Christian monks added to the myths with their own Christian world view

A typical example of this is the Goddess Hel , whom According to the myths written down by Christian monks was cast into Niflheim/Nifhel/Helheim, to rule the underworld of the dishonoured dead . Furthermore the Vikings , been rather keen on raiding and fighting believed that unless you died in battle , you would go to Hel's realm and be dishonoured . But what about the Anglo Saxon and Germanic people . Its easy to understand the Scandinavian view . After all the land was cold and poor for farming compared to Britain and Germany . But when a lot of your people are part time warriors and full time farmers , it does not make sense . Most people in these lands were most likely not to die in battle . Some surviving folk lore and information does suggest that Hel or Hella was considered a more benevolent deity , that those who did not die in battle still received a happy afterlife and only those who dishonoured themselves and their kin , who committed acts such as rape and murder , would end up in a joyless cold afterlife with the worst been punished by the horrible experience of been eaten by the dragon Níðhöggr , only to be wake up the next day fully intact , just to get eaten again . This took place in Náströnd , the corpse shore , a region of Helheim where the dragon made its home . Furthermore many heathen authors have written of experiencing Hel , not as a half dead evil goddess but as a beautiful benevelant mother like goddess who judges the dead , giving those who have lived a good life a god afterlife and punishing those who who haven't . It has laso been said that she only appers in shadow or half dead to those who fear her . Other writers have said rather than banish her into Hel , Odin willingly gave her charge of that realm .

And what about Ragnarök . In Early myths when Odin is Woden , Loki does not exist and the whole end of the world is never mentioned . But because more is known of later Scandinavian myths , they are used to fill in the blanks in Anglo Saxon and Germanic myths. So we have a Ragnarök where it may never have existed . Ragnarök and incidentally Odin’s ascension to head of the pantheon seem to coincide with the rise of Christianity in the Roman empire and its influence spreading . Perhaps seeing the Christian god as a god of magic , the idea to have a god of magic as their own head deity slowly spread amongst the northern European tribes . Certainly the Vikings have been shown to have traded and raided all over the place , reaching India and America on their travels , so suggesting that other religions influenced their own is not out of the question . I have spoken to a few heathens who claim that Loki , far from been a murderous malicious deity , has in fact helped them in their lives and is not the heathen “Lucifer” that he is made out to be . Certainly even in the myths , it is understandable why , after he escapes been chained , he would fight against the gods in Ragnarök . He caused Balders death and in return , the gods turned one of his sons into a wolf and made him rip the other son to pieces , then they killed the first son as well . Also even though Höðr was blind and tricked by Loki , the gods killed him anyway . So how exactly can one exclude Loki from their faith , claiming he is evil and lacks honour when the gods reaction to him is to murder and act with total dishonour as well

 I tend to prefer the earlier versions of Woden and Hella and as there is no Ragnarök recorded in Anglo Saxon or earlier Germanic myth I will not worry about that . As for Loki , while he is not recorded in earlier myths , I can't deny his existence without calling my fellow heathens liars so I will acknowledge him and even accept that he is not as bad as he is made out to be . But I follow Woden and Woden , unlike the later Odin , bears the attributes of a trickster so I have no need of Loki in my life . But that been said , I will not deny him or other heathens the right to worship him

So the big question is do I allow my religion to alter and change based on what i feel is right and what other heathens have experienced or do I stick almost dogmatically to poems and stories written down over 1700 years ago by Christian monks and Roman Scholers ?