Pagan house altar

The Indo-European paganism is a Dharmic nature religion that was widely practiced throughout Europe before the arrival of Christianity. Although it is primarily based on the culture of the Proto-Indo-Europeans, it was also influenced by the indigenous traditions of the foragers, hunters, fishers, and Neolithic farmers who lived in Europe before 4000 BCE. The Proto-Indo-European nomadic herders migrated from the Caspian steppes to Europe and Asia, and their culture forms the basic of almost all European civilizations such as the Greek, Germanic, Celtic, Roman, and Viking cultures. 

The cosmic order is the natural course of things within the universe. In the Vedic tradition, this order is referred to as Rta, and in Greek as Kosmos, derived from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂r-tós (Xartus).  Rta is a dynamic cosmos in which both physical objects like celestial bodies and abstract concepts such as moral development are constantly in motion (gati). All elements in the universe work harmoniously together according to this cosmic order (samghatna). Both nature and social structures function in balance, thanks to the power of Rta. The course of events is governed by inevitable laws of cause and effect. The Greeks called this Logos and based their philosophy and science on this ‘logic’. 

People find their true fulfillment by acting in accordance with the laws of Rta. Ignoring these laws leads to chaos and suffering. To ensure well-being, it is necessary for individuals to align their actions with this cosmic order. This process is called dharma. Derived from the Proto-Indo-European  *dʰer- (‘support, hold’).

Dharma encompasses the principles and rules that support the Rta. Not adhering to these laws results in adharma, which causes disruptions in the natural balance and leads to misery and adversity.

The Greek word kosmos literally means "order" or "ordered world," and stood in contrast to chaos, which refers to disorder or the original primordial state without structure.

An important distinction between the Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism) and Indo-European paganism is that the Abrahamic religions are monotheistic, while Indo-European paganism is polytheistic in nature. Within Indo-European paganism, there was great diversity in the ways gods were worshipped. Each deity had specific rituals and cults, often secret and known only to initiates. This secret knowledge was an essential part of religious practice and strengthened the bond between believers and the gods.

Another characteristic of Indo-European polytheism was the hierarchy among the gods. In the religions of peoples such as the Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans, the Olympian gods were at the top of this hierarchy. These gods, like Zeus, Juno, and Jupiter, were most revered and held a central position in religious experience. However, around these higher gods, there was an extensive cult of lesser gods, ancestors, and (spirit) forces, which were also part of religious practices.

Language-historical reconstructions from the Proto-Indo-European language provide insight into the origins of these gods. From the names of the main deities, it can be inferred that they originate in nature religions, where forces of nature such as the sky, the sun, the earth, and the weather were personified and worshiped as gods. This deep connection with nature lies at the basic of Indo-European polytheism and formed the foundation for the religious worldviews of many Indo-European peoples.

If we look at what remains of Indo-European paganism after nearly 1500 years of Christianity, we see a large puzzle. Many pagan movements focus on putting these pieces together to reconstruct Indo-European paganism in the traditions of our ancestors. On some subjects, there are few historical sources or reconstructions. For example, there are no guidelines on how Indo-European pagans were supposed to set up their home altar. 

The main Proto-Indo-European gods can be reconstructed on basic of similarities in mythology, language, and religion among Indo-European cultures, such as the Greeks, Romans, Celts, Germans, Balto-Slavs, Indians, and other descendants of the Proto-Indo-European peoples. Although we have no direct written sources from the Proto-Indo-Europeans themselves, we can partially deduce their pantheon through comparative linguistics and mythology.

The reconstructed god names are often written with an asterisk (*).

Dyēus Ph₂tēr is reconstructed as the father of the sky and daylight. He is often seen as a powerful father figure who rules over the order of the cosmos. He represents the bright sky and daylight. His counterparts are found in various Indo-European cultures, such as Zeus in Greek, Jupiter in Latin, Dyaus Pitr in Sanskrit, and Tiwaz among the Germanic peoples. Among the Vikings, he was associated with Odin or Tyr, who also plays an important role in the cosmic ordering principle.

Dʰéǵʰōm is the mother earth, the female counterpart of Dyēus Ph₂tēr. She symbolizes fertility and the earth itself. She is associated with Gaia, Persephone, Demeter in Greek, and Tellus in Latin. In the Germanic tradition, this role can be linked to Jord, the earth goddess in Norse mythology. Among the Vikings, Jord was considered an important goddess of the earth and fertility. The wife of the father of the sky can also be seen as Dʰéǵʰōm Greek Hera, Roman Juno, Slavic Mokosh, Old Norse Frigg.

H₂éwsōs is the goddess of the dawn, who brings the first light of the day and plays an important role in the cyclical rhythm of life. She appears as Eos in Greek, Aurora in Latin, and Ushas in the Vedic tradition. In the Germanic tradition, she can be compared to the goddess Ostara and in Old Norse possibly Freya. 

Perkwunos is the god of thunder and storms, associated with battle and strength. He appears in many Indo-European traditions, such as Perun among the Slavs , Thor among the Germans, and Taranis among the Celts. In Norse mythology, he is known as Thor, the god of thunder and storms, embodying the strength and protection of nature.

Manus or Mannu - refers to the divine twins often seen as the forefathers of humanity. They appear in stories such as those of the Roman Dioscuri and the Vedic Ashvins. In the Germanic tradition, Tyr and Njord are examples of important gods embodying the concept of duality and protection, although they are not directly depicted as twins. In Viking mythology, Váli and Vidar, the sons of Odin, can be seen as a sort of divine twins due to their role in mythology.

In this blog, we discuss guidelines for setting up a home altar, as well as the historical context of its origin. Practicing faith in a domestic setting is an important aspect of many religions. Home altars appear in various religious traditions, such as among Roman Catholics, Hinduism, and Buddhism. The ancient Greeks and Romans also had home altars as an essential part of their religious practices.

In Roman society, it was the duty of the pater familias, the head of the household, to take care of the Lararium, the home altar. He served not only as the head of the family but also as the house priest. This altar served as a sacred place where offerings and prayers were made to the protective gods of the house. Domestic worship, however, did not stand alone but complemented the communal worship that took place during major religious festivals at sacred sites, such as temples or burial mounds. These sacred locations played a central role in many pre-Christian traditions, both among the Germans and Vikings and among the Greeks and Romans, as supported by archaeological evidence.

Sacred places were of great importance in the religious practices of Indo-European peoples. When they still lived on the steppes, a piece of land was marked off and declared sacred by the tribe leader or king. This designated area was essential for communication with the gods and served as a place where blessings from the gods could be received.

The house itself was always considered a sacred place within Indo-European cultures. The home environment thus held special significance in religious practices, but how this religion was practiced at home was the responsibility of the head of the family. This makes home altars personal yet deeply religious places, where the family practiced their faith in the intimate setting of the home, in accordance with the broader religious traditions of their culture.

In other blogs, we delve deeper into this subject. Religion always arises from the norms and values of the population that practices it.

To understand what important Indo-European norms and values are, it is important to grasp that we have our origins as nomadic steppe herders. The Indo-European society is dharmic, from this moral standpoint all their life views can be derived. 

The steppes are known as a dangerous area with an unforgiving climate. In these circumstances, mutual hospitality was an essential condition for survival. People had to be able to rely on the help and hospitality of others in times of need, while also guaranteeing that they themselves would offer the same hospitality when the situation required it. This led to a mutual relationship between guest and host, based on agreements, rituals, and the exchange of gifts.

The giving and receiving of favors was imbued with ritual obligations that required the guest to always be hospitable to their host in the future. This obligation was not temporary, but could even be passed down from generation to generation. A striking example of this can be found in the stories of Homer, where the warriors Glaukos and Diomedes ceased their fight and exchanged gifts when they discovered that their grandfathers had a guest-host relationship. Violations of these obligations were considered immoral, unlawful, and unholy. In ancient Irish law, refusing hospitality was even seen as a serious crime, equivalent to murder. Killing a guest or abusing hospitality was also viewed with abhorrence.

The term *ghós-ti-, which originally meant "table companion," referred to both host and guest, emphasizing the reciprocity of this relationship. In religious contexts, offering gifts to the gods was also seen as a form of hospitality. During the ritual, the offerer acted as the host for the gods, with generosity being central. In other situations, the gods acted as hosts, who in return for offerings and devotion, bestowed their blessings or help upon the offerer. This concept of reciprocity is reflected in various cultures in expressions such as quid pro quo in Latin and eit fyrir eit in Old Norse, both referring to the principle of "something for something."

In, for example, the ancient Irish legislation, hospitality was regulated in detail. Every class within the social hierarchy was entitled to a specific level of hospitality, emphasizing the deep-rooted value of this tradition in society. Hospitality was thus not only a moral obligation but also a legal and religious duty, with far-reaching consequences for individuals and communities.

Unlike in Christianity, a European pagan is not pursued by their God all day. The gods have busy lives of their own regulating the entire universe. The gods only help people who help themselves. You must invite the gods to listen to you. There are also no jealous gods that need to be worshiped or for whom you need to be god-fearing. The gods cannot cleanse you of your sins either: actions have consequences, positive or negative. The gods also cannot change fate; they can only help you on your path. And you can draw strength from the gods, just as you can from your ancestors. After all, you stand on the shoulders of giants.

Because Indo-European paganism is dharmic (the universe/society is kept in balance by cosmic laws), little distinction is made between praying and offering within Indo-European paganism. The law of hospitality applies here. During the ritual, you are the host of the gods. Another time, you are a guest of the gods. Public rituals had strictly prescribed rules (which were often secret). However, in your own home, these rules did not matter much.

Historical sources seem to indicate that a prayer to the pagan gods proceeds roughly as follows. (However, this can vary greatly based on your personal preference.)

The gods love beauty and structure . So before addressing the gods, it is advisable to ritually wash oneself. This was done both by the Vikings and in contemporary India. Medieval sources describe the Vikings as particularly clean. They washed themselves more often than average. This can be archaeologically evidenced by the many combs that have been found.

Wealthy Germanic and Viking women regularly wore items such as silver and bronze nails, cleaning sets, and ear scoops. This can be seen as an expression where the woman emphasizes both her wealth and piety. Possibly, the many razors found from the bronze Age and the Etruscan and Celtic mirrors can also be associated with this. 

1. You invoke the gods. For example, Odin. You address him for certain qualities that are fitting for Odin and important for what you are going to ask of him. For example: O Odin, the wise one who drank from the well Mímisbrunnr. Give me the strength to complete my studies in the coming month. 

2. You give a gift to the gods, which you place in your Hlautbolli (offering bowl), drinking horn or rhyton.

Therefore, I offer you this sacred mead. You pour the mead into the Hlautbolli.

3. If the gods respond to your invitation, you might receive something in return. 

You can choose how you want to arrange your home altar. There are no official guidelines for this, as the ritual takes place at home. We advise not to be too rigid about how you should or should not set up your home altar. We particularly advise using a method that works for you and repeating it henceforth so that a tradition is established. Remember: tradition is important in Indo-European paganism.

Here are some tips based on various guidelines. We mainly provide these to give you ideas about what might be a beautiful way for you to set up a pagan home altar.  

Consider which altar furniture you use. For example, you can choose an altar table made of wood that is locally sourced or from, for example, Norway or England (if you worship the Norse or Germanic gods).

Consider which altar cloths you use. These can be made of all kinds of materials for practical reasons, but you can also choose pure bleached linen. 

Consider which candles you use. We recommend beeswax candles, for example, as they provide a better connection to the ancestors. For them, the bee was a very important animal. (Old Irish law counted bees as livestock)

Use a standard layout for your home altar, making a distinction between the sacred place (the altar itself) and the area around it (where you can place objects during the ritual). The Old Norse, Greek, Roman, and Anglo-Saxon texts offer various guidelines that you can incorporate into the altar. 

As a starting point, we take an Old Norse altar. But we will also mention several alternatives.

The home altar (stalli) can be set up in various ways. Here are some tips: 

Consider creating the stalli on a raised platform or table.

It can be useful to divide the stalli into different compartments. Each part gets its own function. For example, you can divide it into three, six, or nine compartments as mentioned in the Kjalnesinga saga. Nine is the sacred number, the ideal number for a feast. The Celtic royal tomb found in Hochdorf had crockery and space for nine guests. 

Place your altar on the hearth if you have one. The hearth is usually the center of the home. Together you sit around the hearth. The hearth keeps your family warm and was sacred in most Indo-European religions.

You can also place the altar in its own corner or a niche. Then it has its own spot. A niche is also an in-between space or a boundary between two places. And that is exactly what we do when we worship the gods. We go to an in-between space to get better contact with the gods. That is why shores of lakes and rivers or burial mounds were so often used in paganism. They are border areas between two worlds.  

There are different directions you can focus on. The Norse gods live in the North and prayers are directed there. This is stated in Vegtamskvida where Odin looks north while performing the sacred galdr (spells). In Jórmsvikingsaga, a similar act is performed in the Jómsviking Saga. Where Jarl Sigvaldi Strut-Haraldsson kneels to his patron goddess and turns to the north. The lands where the gods come from are in the north, and therefore that is the direction where Vikings perform their ritual. While the eastern direction is the direction of the realm of the dead and for offerings (both of dead animals and food). We see this in the Vegtamskviða where Odin talks to the dead Völva. He rides towards the eastern door and then prays northward.

The east also stands for the rising sun and Ostara. Most Indo-European rituals were performed clockwise, from East to West. You can also choose to direct yourself towards sacred places in the respective Indo-European culture. For the Greeks, Mount Olympus was the place where the gods lived. The Celtic gods lived atop the Alps. Take this into account when placing any votive figurines.

As is known, many gods are descended from our Proto-Indo-European ancestors. Therefore, it doesn't matter if you exclusively worship Germanic, Viking, Slavic, Roman, or Greek gods. You can also perfectly worship a mix of these. Far into Germania, Roman votive figurines were used to worship (possibly Germanic) gods. It also underscores the reason why the Romans (except for Christianity) banned certain gods. They could recognize the gods of the newly conquered lands quite well. 

Votive figurines are not essential for the worship of gods, and it is likely that they were not always used in ritual contexts. Nonetheless, it is known that the Indo-European peoples, even in their early period, did indeed use votive figurines, contrary to what the Roman historian Tacitus has mentioned. These figurines played a specific role within religious practices by focusing on the gods, rather than the worshipper themselves or their personal philosophies and theories.

According to the Greek philosopher Iamblichus, votive figurines help focus attention on the deity, allowing the worshipper to better connect with the divine world. This prevents one from getting lost in abstract ideas and personal interpretations and instead encourages a direct, spiritual exchange. The focus is on the representation of the god, not necessarily on the votive figurine itself. Other artistic expressions, such as wood carvings or frescoes’s, can also serve as representations of gods and goddesses.

The use of such forms of imagery emphasizes the necessity to give the gods a visible presence in religious practices, with the physical image serving as a channel for devotion and spiritual connection. This aligns with broader Indo-European traditions where visual and material culture plays an important role in religious life.

Your altar is a sacred place. Decorate it with flowers or stones from the appropriate season or the region you most associate with the gods. Remember, the gods are central to the altar, and the objects aim to please the gods.

Incorporate the elements into your prayer. If you worship a goddess strongly associated with earth, then place a small dish of earth on your altar. Preferably earth from the motherland of the culture. If you are addressing Poseidon, then place a dish of water on the altar. One can always choose to place a dish of water on the altar to symbolize the cosmic river Élivágar. This represents the origin of all waters in the world. The water stands for chaos, and the tree of life for structure. Both nourish each other. 

Every stalli should have an oath ring, torque or Old Norse stallhalingr. This can be placed on the northeastern side due to the association with Hel and the ancestors in the north. The Indo-European society was a strongly oath-bound society. 

The horn represents Auðumbla, the primordial cow that gave birth to all life when the ice melted from Niflheim. (cattle are very important in Indo-European paganism, think of India). You can also use this drinking horn as a rhyton. 

Sökkdalir, eldskál, or the fire can be placed in the south or east. This represents the sun, the goddess of dawn, and the divine twins. Fire is sacred in Indo-European paganism, words are carried in the fire, and it is an Indo-European custom to sometimes throw offerings into the fire. Fire also represents Vesta, the goddess of the hearth. 

In ritual practices, the blood bowl plays an important role, into which liquid offerings are poured. Besides the use of the blood bowl, there are also bowls that serve to symbolize sacred sources and to preserve earth from the homeland. In the Hlautbolli, not only blood offerings were made; liquids such as wine, mead, milk, and beer could also be used as offerings. The preference for milk as an offering is particularly significant, as it is a direct reference to our ancestors. The ability to digest milk was essential for their survival and migration from the steppes to Europe.

This tradition of offering both solid and liquid substances also resonates in the rituals of the ancient Greeks and Romans. During the offering of animals, parts of the offering were burned or liquid offerings were poured onto the ground as a tribute to the gods. What was not offered was consumed by the participants during a ritual dinner, a symbolic meal with the gods that strengthened the connection between the earthly and the divine.

Thus, the use of liquid offerings reflects not only the cultural and religious practices of our ancestors but also the deeper connection with nature and the gods.

Hel Rúnar, runes, are associated with Odin, as he is the master of the Runes. Runes contain magic.

Hindus, Buddhists, Roman pagans, and Greek pagans use incense. It is likely that the Celts, Slavs, and Germans also burned similar materials as incense to provide a pleasant scent during the ritual. Incense rises to the heavens where the gods reside. Sacrificial animals are also roasted. The Greeks mention that the smell of roasted meat is pleasing to the gods. Incense itself is also considered an offering to the gods in Hindu, Greek, and Roman culture.

A very important symbol for Germanic paganism is the Mjölnir or Thor's hammer. We ourselves prefer a Mjölnir made from the purest materials such as silver or gold. However, it might also be an idea to choose a bronze Mjölnir because it symbolizes the bronze Age, the time when the Indo-European peoples migrated to Europe. 

Multiple Indo-European cultures place small altars in the garden. In Old English, this is called a hörg. This word frequently appears in English place names. But the Vikings also used altars outdoors. In one Norwegian poem, a man builds a Hörg explicitly to worship Freya. It is an idea to surround the hörg with various posts and a small fence, to show that it is more than a pile of stones but a sacred place. It is characteristic of Indo-European culture that some places were considered sacred.