A is for Aesir, Asgard, and Asatru (PBP)

The Aesir are the collective name for the principal race of Gods from the Norse pantheon. The Aesir reside in Asgard and include the following Gods: Odin (the All-Father), Loki, Balder, Bragi, Forseti, Heimdall, Hod, Njord, Tyr, Vili and Ve (Odin's brothers), Vidar, and of course, Thor. The Goddesses of the Aesir include Frigga (the All-Mother, wife of Odin), Sif (Thor's wife), Hel, and Idunna.

Also included in the Aesir are several of the Vanir, or the Norse Gods of the earth and fertility. These include Freyja, her brother Freyr, and Njord. According to Norse myth there was a great war between the Aesir and the Vanir which eventually led to the unification of the two tribes.

Asatru is a form of Germanic Neopaganism. The word means "faith/belief in the Aesir." Asatru is also known as Heathenry. Personally, I have not used the label of Asatru or Asatruar when describing my own beliefs or practices, although I have used the labels of Northern Tradition, Norse pagan, and heathen. Based on everything I have read and studied about Asatru, I would definitely fall on the 'universalist' end of the heathen spectrum. If you want to know more about universalist heathenry there's a great article on the Witches' Voice entitled Radical Heathen Universalism.