Icelandic Pagan Temple Under Construction

In Iceland, Norse paganism experienced a revival in the early 1970's. Now the Ásatrúarfélag, the organization largely responsible for this revival, is working to construct the first Nordic pagan temple built in almost a thousand years. Land for the temple was purchased in 2008, and construction of the main structure will begin next month.

This will be the first pagan temple to be built in the Nordic countries in nearly a thousand years, said the alsherjargoði Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, head priest of the Icelandic Ásatrúarfélag, in an interview with RÚV.

The Ásatrúarfélag applied for a plot of land to construct a temple in 2006 and was allotted a piece of land in Öskuhlíð in 2008. The 350 square metres (3767 sq ft) temple will have a vaulted ceiling and seat around 250 people. Its construction will be completed next year.

The Icelandic Ásatrúarfélag is an Icelandic Germanic Neopagan religious organization founded in 1972. The organization conducts ceremonies such as marriages, name-giving ceremonies, and burials.

As a huge fan of religious diversity, I wish the Ásatrúarfélag the best of luck as the project moves forward. The temple sounds like it will be a beautiful building, and I look forward to seeing its final finished form. It's good to see minority religions able to gather the resources they need to maintain a legitimate cultural presence.