Blótferð—Ásatrú “Pilgrimage,” and Why It Matters
I've spent the last few weeks looking for the best possible Old Norse equivalent of the English Christian word "pilgrimage", and I have finally decided on the term "Blótferð"- roughly translating to "sacrificial journey". It means to travel to a Blót, whether it be to your local Hof, to a rented campground, or to a Hof on the other end of the continental United States.
Our ancestors would often travel quite far to participate in a Blót with their cousins across Germania or Scandinavia, the most well-known example of this is the former temple at Gamla Uppsala. This travel itself was seen as a necessary sacrifice, and it was a tremendous honor to be able to attend rituals led by the Goðar of Uppsala.
Times have changed, of course, but many things remain unchanged. We should all do what we can to attend ritual as often as feasible, and to see the glory of all five of the Ásatrú Folk Assembly's lands. The raw power of Óðinshof, the southern piety of Þórshof, the shining devotion of Baldrshof, the prosperity of Njörðshof, and the endless potential that is Sigrheim- these are already such a huge part of our Folk's reawakening, already nearing the equivalent of Gamla Uppsala. We are making history, living in what our descendants will look back on as a foundational period for Ásatrú!
There are quite a few of us across the AFA who have made these long road trips or flights to attend one of our Hof events, and I can tell you from experience that the sacrifice is worth it. Your effort is rewarded 1000 times over with great rituals, memories, food, and Frith.
Consider this a call to action! I urge everyone reading this to start planning a Blótferð to any of our Hofs, or to Sigrheim! Ásatrú in real life starts here!
Gothi Trent East
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