Foreningen Forn Sed was founded in 1998[2][3] as an offshoot of Åsatrufellesskapet Bifrost,[4][5] because of personal disagreements within the Norse pagan milieu in Norway.[6] It was recognized by the Norwegian government as a religious body in 1999[2][4] and a few years later changed its name to Forn Sed Norge.[1][3]
The organization had approximately 60 members in 2004,[2] 85 in 2014,[7] and 110 in 2017.[4] As of 2022, the organization had 137 registered members.[8]
Activities and beliefs
Forn Sed Norge describes itself as a non-hierarchical religious organization[1] accommodating anyone interested in ancient Norse custom and tradition.[2][9] It holds an annual planning meeting[1] in addition to blóts several times a year, usually offering mead.[4] A woodland blót at Bærum was shown on television in 2014 as part of pre-Christmas coverage by Are Sende Osen [no].[10] It publishes a magazine called Ni Heimer.[1][2] Forn Sed Norge is known to keep a lower public profile than Åsatrufellesskapet Bifrost, but both organizations participate in a broader cultural scene revolving around Old Norse culture, with events such as Viking markets and music inspired by Old Norse poetry.[6]
^ abGeir Uldal and Geir Winje, "Paganism in Norway", in: Henrik Bogdan and Olav Hammer, eds., Western Esotericism in Scandinavia, Boston: Brill, 2016, ISBN978-90-04-30241-9, p. 371.
Nygaard, Mathias E. (2022). "How Norwegian Asatru Meets the Charge of Racism: A Rhetorical Analysis". Nordic Journal of Religion and Society. 35 (1): 45–57. doi:10.18261/njrs.35.1.4.