Written by Dyami Millarson
In Germanic folk religion, the relationship between the divine and the human is complex, with some noble or princely men being regarded as Gods due to their qualities of bravery and strength. This blurring of the lines between the divine and the human is a fundamental characteristic of the religion, as it recognises the importance of human traits in the worship of the Gods.
The idea of the blurring of lines between the divine and the human is evident in the birth stories of some Gods in the Germanic tradition. These stories depict Gods being born of human mothers and fathers, emphasising the connection between the divine and the human. This connection is further emphasised by the fact that the Gods possess human qualities such as passion, weakness, and mortality, which make them more relatable and accessible to the people who worship them.
In Germanic culture, noble or princely men were sometimes regarded as Gods due to their possession of qualities that were highly valued in the society, such as bravery and strength. This recognition of human qualities in the divine is an essential aspect of the religion, as it acknowledges the importance of human values and virtues in the worship of the Gods.
The blurring of lines between the divine and the human in Germanic folk religion also extends to the idea of afterlife. In the belief system, the dead are believed to go to the same place as the Gods, which further emphasises the close relationship between the Divine and the human.
The blurring of lines between the divine and the human is a central feature of Germanic folk religion; the religion recognises the importance of human qualities and virtues in the worship of the Gods, and the close relationship between the divine and the human is evident in the birth stories of some Gods, as well as the recognition of noble or princely men as Gods. This relationship also extends to the belief in an afterlife shared by both humans and the Divine.
Viking Religion 