Is it normal that he's really into norse mythology?

A guy I know, not really a friend but someone I know, is really into Norse paganism. Not just interested in it creatively like fantasy fans and metalheads are, I mean he takes that stuff seriously. When it comes up, he's as obnoxious about it as Christians and Muslims usually are, making sure you know that your punishment for being wrong comes not in this life but the next. He spent a lot of money building a shrine dedicated to Freyja, he went without food for two days because he just couldn't afford it with the money he was putting into the shrine. It's actually pretty impressive, but he made it for silly reasons. He's studied and performs many rituals. A few times he's invited a lot of us over for a blot feast, which involves sacrificing animals. I don't even know how he got those pigs and horses. What's most worrying is that he's joined a mercenary company that regularly lends its services to pro-Europe warlords in Africa and the Middle East in hopes that he will die in battle so he can be taken to Folkvangr or Valhalla. I asked a friend what he thought about it and he said it was strange but it isn't really weirder or more crazy than other religions if you think about it. I don't think it should be ignored that easily.

Is It Normal?
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  • Sounds like someone's taking the new Thor movie a wee bit too seriously!

    But seriously, though, I'm in the SCA, and I've met many pagans. They usually aren't as dedicated as animal sacrifice, unless it's a massive gathering.

    But this seems like more of an obsession. If the guy honestly believes he's been inspired by Odin or Frigg, he may be crazy. That being said, It's a religion. People have been known to follow it religiously.

    You have no more right to question his religion than he does to question someone's Christianity. If he does something that's just flat-out stupid, like human sacrifice or suicide by assault, then you should call attention to it. Until then, keep an eye on him and tell him to say hi to Loki for me.

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  • Probz a phase, if not then as long as he's happy and not hurting anyone who cares?

    We all have our little weird things.

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  • He must have gotten the horses by buying them. As he showed with the shrine, he is willing to spend a lot of money on this. Horses were one of the most traditional animals to be sacrificed in blot, and since he takes this very seriously I'm sure he is willing to go to great lengths to do things the way they're meant to be done. I don't think he's doing it to be psychotic, unless you consider paganism psychotic in itself, he does it because that's what the ritual calls for.

    I'm disappointed that people's first reaction to this was to say it's fake, but I'm not really surprised by it. One of my friends thought me and the others were exaggerating until he actually met the guy, so I know how it can seem.

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  • kidlicker has a point, killing a horse is a little up on the madness/impossibility scale, unless he owns a farm.

    If this is legit, then it seems as sane as any other religion. To die in battle is to die in glory, and, if he is that involved in said religion, he will not get into Valhalla unless he does die in battle.

    Seems both fine, and different, and kind of cool/intriguing.

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  • Sounds like for some reason, boredom or sense of purpose or something, he decided that things just weren't how he wanted them to be so he took this religion to the extreme so as to make a new life for himself, maybe as a form of escape. Not the most normal, but lots of people get really into religion. And it is cool shit. X3

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  • Bro, you don't know anyone that killed effin horses. That was the dead giveaway. (If you're serious [which i'm 99.9% that your not] than i apologize.)

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