Asatru - Winter Nights & the Disir

Stephen McNallen of the Asatru Folk Assembly talks about the festival of Winter Nights and the female ancestors, or Disir, who are venerated at this time. (www.runestone.org)

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Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• mcnallen
• asatru
• ancestors
• disir
• european
• freya
• goddesses
• gods
• native
• winter nights
• religion
• spirituality

[truserester]

Greetings from Norway! 

[smcnallen]

@truserester

And greetings from California!

Many years ago, I visited Norway - back in the 1970's. It was a short trip, mostly to the Oslo area. Maybe again someday!

All the best,

Steve McNallen

Asatru Folk Assemblly

[FollowerOfTheGods]

May my foremothers watch over me...

[smcnallen]

@FollowerOfTheGods

Indeed, I believe they are always with us. My mother dropped in to pay a visit in my hospital room once...exactly one year after she died.

Once you know they ancestors, you're never alone.

Best,

Steve McNallen

Asatru Folk Assembly

[nhm86]

i was looking at the trees in my garden and all the brown, red and yellow leav's that was blowing i the wind, as i listen to the poem..it might sound a little gay but i got tears in my eye's,...my grandmother loved this time of year :) Greetings to you smcnallen from a brother in Denmark . also to erverybody else ;)

[smcnallen]

@nhm86

Greetings to you! I plan on being in Denmark next summer.  I was there long ago, back in the 1970's - a wonderful place!

Steve McNallen

Asatru Folk Assembly

[odinismforus]

Hail the Folk!

[TheBlackDuty]

Hi, Greatings out of Germany...

U have a nice sort of speaking english ;)

I can understand you very well.

But now i have a question, how long are you a Pagan / Asatru?

[SonofTheNorthStorm]

Thank you.

[TheAnGerman]

first of all thanks for the informative videos. i am more and more discovering the religion of my ancestors and I find you are conveying the asatru religion very well :)

what i asked myself when i read the name of your page "runestone"... do runes have a higher meaning or importance for practicing asatru? you know like what arab is to muslims..

can someone recommend me sources (if possible in german language) to learn about all that? is there sth like a (or several) holy scripture(s)?

[TsugaC]

@Impaler1984 Stephen McNallen? How do you know this?

[Impaler1984]

He doesn't practice asatru any more

[keeelane]

what is the belief in ancesters based on? i mean of course you can choose to believe in whatever you want - which i assume mr. mcnallen here is not talking about. what is the rationale behind this thinking?

also, i would assume that these type of feasts as disir were originally based on geography as the change of seasons largely depend on them. is this taken into account in asatru?

[keeelane]

what is the belief in ancesters based on? i mean of course you can choose to believe in whatever you want - which i assume mr. mcnallen here is not talking about. what is the rationale behind this thinking?

[FreedomClause]

I would see this as a celebration of family time...the harvest is in, the warriors return, and thoughts turn to ones hearth and home where families gather before the long winter. This gathering time is something that our ancestors have done throughout the generations and they would continue this in death... it would be a coming home of sorts for the living and the dead, where they could commune with loved ones ....more thanksgiving than Halloween... that's the way i see it anyway

[truserester]

@smcnallen How nice to hear. I live in Oslo:) you're most welcome to come back and feast in our longhouses once again!