Global Warming and Asatru

In the Asatru religion, we often focus on personal issues rather than worldly ones, but the Eddas tell us that the World will suffer greatly in the Final Battle. They talk of how Surt the Fire Giant will cause the World to burn. The fires only end when the rising seas quench them and those who sheltered underground emerge to rebuild. What if this is a longer game and not the flash fire typically assumed?

For a long time, many believed this story would turn out to be a worldwide nuclear war where Surt's fiery sword was a poetic allusion to Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. It would certainly fit the tale and may still happen. However, the forces of Order and Chaos want to be here all the time, not just in the last battle. What other attacks do they do?

Monotheism

Some believe the giants created monotheism. What a better way to weaken the allies of the Gods than to turn those allies away from the Gods. One of the earliest, surviving monotheistic religions is Zoroastrianism. These people still keep a fire in their house to maintain the connection with their "god". Since the advent of religions like this, monotheism has been a blight on the World.

By the time monotheism got to the Hebrews, not only do they claim that there is only on god, but that there is nothing spiritual in any part of nature except for humans. Asatru people know there is life in all parts of nature, all the plants and animals, and we even respect the stones of the Earth. To the monotheists, the rest of the World is just there for consumption and has no other value. That may not suggest fire giants, but their assorted holy books mention emissaries that must shield their fiery bodies from humans in order to communicate without destroying the human. Eventually, the description of these angels changes to look like northern Europeans with wings in order to make them palatable to humanity.

The next step was Christianity. Their "savior" rose from the dead, which is never a good thing, and told his followers to go get more followers. Any worldly suffering would be worth it because they were equal in the eyes of their god and would get their reward in the afterlife. There was no longer a need to lead an honorable life; as long as you were a good slave or soldier, you would get that reward. They believe that when their undead master returns to the world, the devout will be able to rise from their graves to join him. Fortunately, pop culture has spent the past few decades instructing the populous in how to handle the rising dead, thank Bragi.

Industrial Revolution

Leap forward to the Industrial Revolution. Making more stuff more efficiently is a good thing; a total lack of respect for the World and its inhabitants is not. Now we have lots of pollution and the associated global warming. That warmer World becomes more welcoming to the fire giants and their agents.

The Worlds are tied together. If there is warming here, there is probably something similar elsewhere. Warming means uncontrolled energy and that becomes chaos. Surt and his people are the agents of chaos. They encroach upon the Worlds and their fight with the Gods builds.

What will end global warming in this World? Two things could probably do it. The first is that everyone suddenly become rational, develop respect for nature, and band together to reverse the warming. The more likely option is that everything will get so bad that there is war and more chaos. In this case, the World will recover on its own in time. The waters will recede and those who sheltered underground will emerge to rebuild.

It is important to note that many American Christians believe that there will be a global war and that their salvation in the next world requires this. They really want the chaos in the Middle East because that leads to the war that will usher in the return their savior. They do not understand that their savior is a fire giant, and they do not care. For now, all they care about is the war that will end their burden of living. These people vote and they vote in ways that lead toward this war. Not all Americans believe this, but enough do that the march to war is in place. If most of the believers weren't so weak, they would be physically marching to war on their own now, rather than just insisting that others should go fight for them.

How Does This Affect Asatruar

How does this affect Asatru people? We are told that the war will happen, but we are not taught to cause it. We are told to prepare and to be strong for our Gods, but we are told to be honorable in our strength. We are told that there will be survivors and that they will rebuild, but we are not told whom among us it will be. The chief of the Gods after the Last Battle will be Vidar.

We must prepare. We must educate ourselves in a wide variety of arts and sciences. We must build underground when we can. How long can you live underground and still produce food and purify water? How will you tend to your sick and injured? How will you maintain structural integrity of your building when the world-burners finally get their war? How will you hear the new commandments from Vidar Leathershod?

These are all questions we must ask ourselves. We should know the answers, or at least how to find them. We must teach our children to think of these things and to prepare. It may be that the Last Battle won't happen for a long time or it may happen next month. There is no way to be sure, and Vidar the Silent has not told. In any event, we must prepare to be on the safe side.

What is global warming? It is a sign that the forces of Chaos have made great headway into the Middle Garden through their servants the monotheists. How does it change what we do? We fight to reduce it, but prepare for the Last Battle in case we can't. Most of all, it is something through which we stand strong, like we do everything else, because we are the Allies of the Gods.