Priesthood Within Paganism

Very little is known about historical pre-Christian religious practices and if the pre -Christian peoples we commonly call The Germanic Tribes had a priestly class. That is a class of people who’s only job in society was to be a priest. There are virtually no sources or archeological evidence that would lead us to believe there was a priestly class in ancient pagan/heathen societies. The Christian chronicler Bede reported that the Anglo-Saxon pagans of Northumbria has a high priest. Bede's description of Coifi is that of the chief of priests in Northumbria, suggesting that there was some sort of organized pagan priesthood in existence during Coifi's time. However, many historians believe that we need to take Bede’s interpretation of the Anglo-Saxons with a grain of salt. Although Bede may have been a firsthand witness to this history, he may have misinterpreted it due to Christian influence. According to Bede Coifi destroyed the temple of Woden and helped to convert the Northumbrians to Christianity. The entire story could be Christian propaganda.

Yeavering Burial

The only other evidence for a priestly class in pagan Saxon England was a burial in Yeavering a small hamlet in Northumberland. Archeologist have interpreted the grave as that of a pagan priest found with a goat's skull buried by its feet, and a long wooden staff with metal fittings beside it. It is believed that the remains were that of a male dressed in female clothing, suggesting that of a Seiðmenn not a true priestly class. Seiðmenn are of later Norse historical origin, while they may have existed in pre-Christian Anglo-Saxon England by a different name. Tacitus in his Germania refers to a male pagan priest who wore female clothing. Germania was written in AD 98 and traditions and customs most likely changed by 5th and 6th centuries.

Historical and archeological evidence from Viking Age have not produced any evidence of a priestly class existing in pre-Christian Scandinavia. Religious activities seem to have been carried out by members of the community who also had other social functions and positions. We do know that tribal leaders played prominent roles in Pre-Christian Saxon England and Scandinavia. This suggests a link to sacral kingship within there societies, a practice today carried on by Theodish pagan.

Historically in heathen-pagan society anyone could blót, that is offer sacrifice to the gods or other divine entities. It was not strictly a role played by authority, kings, or priests. We do know that family or tribal leader did play a prominent role in worship, there were no restrictions on who could blót. The idea that any one person in society was a conduit to the gods because of his social class may have been a later notion influenced by Christianity.

In modern Asatru many large national groups such as The Troth have priestly classifications, training programs and ordainment. This is strictly a modern concept and the reason for this is simple. In modern society in order to preform certain priestly duties such as marriage one must be ordained and part of a religious organization that has filled with the United States Government. It is strictly for legal reasons.

Many pagan/Heathen kindreds have also adopted a priestly class within their ranks. In many cases there is a strict division and a member or members role within the kindred is strictly that of religious leader. Hammerhof does not have a strictly priestly class and practices the Theodish tradition of sacral kingship. That the leader, or Dryhten, plays a role in our formal worship practices. We also have what we call wéofodþégn which are what can be translated as altar-priest or a keeper of the idols. These are as close as we get to a priestly class, however we have no official ordainment with the State which in many cases means our wéofodþégn cannot officially perform marriages.

What it comes down to is that in the past there was no true need to the pre-Christian Germanic peoples to have a truly priestly class, therefore they did not. Tacitus did record that the Germanic tribes had priest according to his interpretations in AD 98 and Bede mentions one reference to pagan priests in the 6th century, but that is all. Using the current historical record, we can infer that the pagan Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians had no such strictly priestly class of people. In the modern age it has become necessary to develop a priestly class within Asatru in order to meet the legal requirements of the State. Although the establishment of a priestly class within Asatru is not in accordance to the way The Ancestors did it, it is a necessity to us in the modern age.