Returning to the ancient ways of Pagan tradition is gaining in popularity. Reconnecting with ancestral wisdom has many benefits. Because of the way ancient paths are portrayed in popular culture, we tend to overlook their potential.
Yes. The Gods of old are still with us. They are the Earth, sky, moon, and sun. Nature embodies all of the analogies we associate with God. We need nature to live. But our modern culture not only overlooks them but also abuses and misuses them for short-term gains.
The tide is turning, and many are returning to the ancient ways. Climate change is a reminder that we need to be responsible stewards of the environment. Otherwise, we jeopardize the future.
This piece reflects a strong viewpoint on cultural and religious history. It is intended as a perspective, not a personal attack on individual belief. Readers are encouraged to approach it thoughtfully.
What is the legacy of Nordic folklore?
The ancient legacy preserved in Nordic cultural stories is more than myth. It is a preserved worldview. It is a cultural memory of how human beings once understood their place in the world before institutional religion reshaped spiritual life across Europe.
The Norse Gods and Goddesses were not distant rulers in a supernatural realm detached from daily existence. They symbolized aspects of nature itself. Archeological evidence suggests these Gods and Goddesses were typologies—living metaphors representing wind, storm, fertility, death, rebirth, and the mystery of life.
Figures such as Odin became part of this legacy not because they demanded worship in abstraction, but because they represented forces that humans experienced directly. The folklore includes dragons, spirits, and mythic beings not as fantasy, but as symbolic expressions of power, danger, wisdom, and transformation.
The legacy of Nordic folklore is rooted in the land. It is grounded in forests, mountains, sky, and sea. It is inseparable from nature.
How the legacy survives suppression
During the assimilation of ancient mystery religions across the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, nature-based traditions were increasingly condemned. Systems that revered the Earth were seen as threats to centralized religious authority.
To protect, control, and maintain influence, the Church systematically eradicated vestiges of traditional systems. The thirteen-month lunar calendar was replaced with a twelve-month system aligned with the Zodiac. Seasonal rituals were rebranded or forbidden. Nature-centered reverence was labeled pagan and demonic.
As the Roman Empire came to its close, all the old gods of the pagan world were seen as demons by the Christians who rose. It was useless to tell them as the centuries passed that their Christ was but another God of the Wood, dying and rising, as Dionysus or Osiris had done before him, and that the Virgin Mary was in fact the Good Mother again enshrined. Theirs was a new age of belief and conviction, and in it, we became devils, detached from what they believed, as old knowledge was forgotten or misunderstood. — Anne Rice
Yet traditions can survive persecution by going underground. The stories and symbols of Norse Gods and Goddesses endured because families preserved them quietly. Knowledge was transmitted across generations through folklore, story, and ritual memory.
The 13-month calendar based on the moon’s cycles is one of the best-kept cultural traditions of this ancient system of reverence. Returning to the ancient ways is beneficial for several reasons.
That endurance is the legacy.
What the old ways understood
The old Nordic worldview recognized something simple and profound: human beings are part of nature.
Nature includes the world’s phenomena untouched by the hand of man—plants, animals, insects, mountains, rivers, sky, and sea. It is the source of everything that sustains life.
Today, most of our symbolism points elsewhere. When you see an apple with a bite taken from it, you think of a corporation. When you see a swoosh symbol, you think of Nike. Modern culture directs reverence toward brands and institutions.
The Norse Gods and Goddesses symbolized aspects of nature. They embodied forces we depended upon for survival.
That difference is not trivial.
What we have forgotten
We often forget that we are part of nature. Many people worship nature. Don’t laugh. You can prove that nature exists.
The remnants of the Pagan traditions grew out of an understanding of nature. The old Nordic religion today puts us in touch with the environment. That’s more than you can say for all the other imaginary friends of the dying god sects.
Archeological evidence suggests that Gods and Goddesses were understood as typologies, symbols of nature. They are a collection of stories and allegories dating back to pre-Germanic folklore. Here, we find figures like Odin, who became part of the legacy of Nordic folklore. It also includes creatures like dragons.
The Norse Gods and Goddesses symbolized some aspect of nature, whereas today, the bulk of our symbolism points to corporations. When you see an apple with a bit out of it, you think of Apple as a computer corporation. You see a swoosh symbol, and you think of Nike.
Returning to the ancient ways
Returning does not require abandoning modern life. It requires restoring awareness.
- When was the last time you stopped to look at the sky?
- Can you remember when you gazed at a tree, the moon, the sunrise, or the sunset?
- Have you listened to a bird or the wind?
- Do you remember what it feels like to smell wildflowers or touch the Earth?
Our senses give us the data from which we construct reality. Scandinavian and Northern Germanic traditions built sensory awareness into cultural practice and healing modalities. They understood that connection to the natural world stabilized the mind and strengthened intuition.
Modern research now supports what these traditions practiced intuitively.
Tuning and recalibrating the senses
Before we go out to connect with nature, let’s recalibrate our senses.
Our senses give us data for our minds to digest, synthesize, and develop an individually crafted fictional view of reality. Scandinavia and Northern Germanic traditions built these practices into their culture and healing modalities. Research is vindicating the benefits of these practices.
Sight
Simply viewing nature’s landscape is proven to be healing. Studies show that people with views of nature from a hospital room recover more quickly. Connecting with the Old Gods of the forest is as simple as opening your eyes to the beauty of nature.
Sound
The sounds of nature—the rain, the wind, the rustling of trees, running water, and even silence—have immediate positive effects on our physiology. These sounds naturally reduce heart rate and respiration.
Our auditory system is critical for survival and reproduction. Natural sounds are some of the most complex vibrational frequencies. We are likely attuned to sounds that resonate with DNA memory. What’s interesting is that while the silence of nature is calming, the silence of modern urban life is stressful because it is a sign of danger. This subconscious response is because of the programming we assimilate from living in cities.
Smell
Although not one of our strongest senses, it is still powerful in connecting us with memories. Smells are everywhere, and we overlook their importance. They can affect a positive or negative mental state. Incense and diffusing essential oils are now components of many natural healing modalities. We still harbor the DNA memories that help us recognize things that may be harmful, like the smell of a skunk, for instance.
Touch
In our modern antiseptic culture, touching has become increasingly unacceptable. The Pandemic brings social interaction and touching to the forefront of health concerns.
On the other hand, touch is the basis for many natural healing methods. The message, acupressure, and even acupuncture are healing techniques that require touch.
All the above sensory aspects are a part of most pre-Abrahamic societies. Many cultures used the landscape and positive visual stimuli to symbolize their respect for life. Sounds, smell, and touch were part of many healing and daily rituals. Traditions can escape the persecution of religious bigotry and prejudice by going underground. The stories and symbolism of Norse Gods and Goddesses live on today because it was taught by families who preserved the knowledge.
Reconnecting with nature
Once our senses are refocused, we will be more able to experience nature without preconceptions and bias.
Find a place where nature is present. If possible, choose somewhere unspoiled by the hand of man. If not, a park or any place with trees and the Earth will suffice. Select a location where you can see, hear, and smell nature. Feel the wind and sky.
Take a mental break from your obligations. Shut off your smartphone. Stand quietly and consciously open your senses.
Move your head left, right, up, and down. Drink in the landscape visually. Allow your senses to reach outward.
If you can, touch the Earth. Place your hands on the ground or against the trunk of a tree. Follow the trunk downward to its roots. Envision yourself traveling into the Earth through those roots. This ancient grounding technique is reemerging in modern practice.
Close your eyes. Listen to the wind. Hear the birds. Feel the sun—the bringer of life and the source of Sun God metaphors. Smell the air. Take a deep breath.
This mirrors what is now called Forest Bathing in Japanese natural health traditions.
Through the senses, the legacy becomes lived experience.
Connecting with nature is a way of returning to the ancient ways. Nature is the source of everything that makes us. Connecting with our “source” is essential for our health and wellness. Those who are wise understand that we are part of nature.
Give Honor and Thanks
When we reconnect with nature, we gain perspective. We realize how fragile we are. We understand how delicate the environment truly is.
Remembering and respecting the Earth restores balance. It reminds us that stewardship is not a modern invention but an ancient responsibility. Think about this experience. Realize that you are part of nature, yet you spend much of your life disconnected from it.
Reconnect as our ancestors did. Do this daily. Never stop seeing, hearing, and feeling your connection to the Earth. Earth is where the Gods of old reside.
If you feel inclined, call upon the spirits of the place where you stand. Ask for guidance. Allow yourself to be still.
Viking Prayer from The 13th Warrior
Here’s a prayer from the movie The 13th Warrior. It’s a mirror of the legacy of Nordic folklore. You may find something like this helpful in your practice.
Lo there do I see my father;
Lo there do I see my mother, my sisters and my brothers;
Lo there do I see the line of my people back to the beginning.
Lo, they do call me;
They bid me take my place among them, in the halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live forever. ― Viking Prayer
In Conclusion
The legacy of Nordic folklore is a glimpse into a time when people were grounded in nature. The old Gods were never separate from the world. They were the Earth, the Sky, the Sun, and the living forces that sustain existence.
Do not forget them.
Show gratitude for the land. Support those who protect it. Restore your connection to the natural world.
Return to the ancient ways, and the legacy will live through you.
References
- A Review of the Benefits of Nature Experiences: More Than Meets the Eye. Frontiers in Psychology.
- Visual Landscapes and Psychological Well-Being. Landscape Research.
- Ultrasound-Induced Acoustic Startle Responses in Katydids. Journal of Comparative Physiology A.
- Nature Exposure and Mental Health: An Ecosystem Service Perspective. Landscape and Urban Planning.
- Nurtured by Nature. American Psychological Association.
- Sound. Encyclopaedia Britannica.