LET’S TALK RELIGION . I think the Æsir are not governed by a set religion , but are obviously free to follow any religion that resonates with them --------------- so Ásgarðr is a world brimming with multiple faiths and belief systems , obviously not all inspired by the religions on Earth , but instead , religions across the nine realms ( and sometimes , even combinations of several religions --- I don’t think the Asgardians view religion as a ‘ black or white ’ entity . cherry - picking does happen , its meaning has more fluidity on their realm ) .
when I was looking this up , most responses said that the Æsir “ did not believe in religion because they were the Gods that were worshipped ” -- and while that makes sense , I do think there exist some foundational beliefs that all of Ásgarðr adhere to , even if it doesn’t exactly count as a religion .
the nornir , for example , who determine past , present and future of Gods and humans . Asgardians believe that the greater events of their lives are mapped out , and unavoidable . the most common being Ragnarök , the end of the world , which every Asgardian is aware of since childhood .
there's also the belief of how the world came to be --- how Odin the Allfather created the nine realms as they exist today , with the remnants of the giant , Ymir . and belief in the afterlife , in Valhalla for the righteous , and Hel for the wicked . and Yggdrasil , of course --- the world tree , upon which all these realms exist , the foundations of it all .
but on a broader scale , like ... the Æsir know that they too are worshipped , and despite being called Gods , they are in fact just ... God - like --- rulers of all the realms , maybe , but certainly not the creators , the ones who breathe life and snatch it away . that exists on its own accord , and they are as much receivers of this as others . but there's something quite beguiling , endearing even , to hear about old religions that incorporate their existence . and even to know that some parts of the world still worship them as Gods .
and of course , with the notion of a God , a higher power , this manifests in belief in different ways . there are some who believe in several , others who believe in one , some who believe in neither --- Thor believes that God is everywhere . an idea , a reflection , a component that exists within each living thing , like a life force , akin to a soul ig . god is what you were before you were living your life , the absolute basest level of whatever makes a being , be . and again , fluidity determines this for him , too --- he may be proven wrong one day , or he may be right , but it’s not something that dominates his time or his thoughts . he ( and many other Asgardians ) think religion is beautiful , and each system of belief forms a different side of a singular concept .
