Our Beliefs

Norse Heathen

Cthonic

Pagan

At Úlfsalhöll, we practice a form of modern Norse Paganism known as Heathenry—a living tradition that honors the gods, spirits, and ancestors of the pre-Christian Germanic world. The word Heathen comes from the Gothic haiþno, once used to mean "a local person" or "someone outside the Christian or Jewish traditions." Over time, it became a common English term for followers of the old ways.

We use the term Norse because most of our stories, rituals, and god-names come from Old Norse sources—especially the Poetic and Prose Eddas of early medieval Iceland. These are some of the most complete records we have of the beliefs, myths, and religious practices of our spiritual ancestors.

That said, our practice isn’t about ethnicity—it’s about honoring the wisdom of the past and living it in the present. We build rituals rooted in history but practiced with purpose today. We share mead in sumbel, make offerings in blót, and tell the stories of Odin, Thor, Freyja, Tyr, and others—not as distant figures, but as living presences that still walk with us.

At Úlfsalhöll, we honor the gods and traditions of ancient Greece, with special devotion to the chthonic powers—those of the earth, the underworld, and transformation. The word chthonic (pronounced KTHAW-nik) comes from the Greek khthonios, meaning “of the earth” or “from beneath the ground.” These deities and spirits are not dark in a negative sense, but rather deep, mysterious, and ancient. They remind us that all growth begins in the dark—seeds in the soil, healing in the quiet, rebirth through descent.

We give reverence to gods such as Hekate, Persephone, Hades, Nyx, and Gaia—powers who teach us the rhythms of life, death, and renewal. We honor them through ritual, offerings, festivals, and daily practice that emphasizes personal growth, transformation, and connection to the unseen world.

In addition to the chthonic, we also uplift the Olympian and civic traditions of ancient Greece, and give space to honor deities such as Athena, Apollon, Dionysos, and others—gods of wisdom, inspiration, and community.

Modern Paganism is a broad and diverse movement of spiritual traditions that draw inspiration from the pre-Christian religions of Europe and beyond. Rather than a single belief system, Paganism is a family of paths that center around polytheism, reverence for nature, seasonal celebration, and a deep respect for ancestral ways. Some examples of modern Pagan traditions include:
Wicca and Witchcraft – nature-based traditions often focused on magic, duality of deity, and the cycles of the earth.
Druidry – rooted in Celtic revival traditions, celebrating nature, poetic wisdom, and ancestral lore.
Animist and Reconstructionist Paths – including Baltic, Slavic, Kemetic (Egyptian), and others seeking historical grounding

At Úlfsalhöll, we are an interfaith Pagan community, which means we honor and make space for multiple traditions. We believe that no one tradition holds all the truth, and that the gods speak in many languages. Our rituals blend history, reverence, and community to create sacred space for learning, transformation, and belonging.