When I saw the online notice about a Pagan temple being built in Iceland, I knew I had to do something. My sister and I had just bought an inexpensive Groupon trip to Reykjavik and I was determined to take advantage of the few days I would be there to find out what I could about the project.

Thanks to the internet, I was able to contact Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson, who had been identified in a newspaper photo as being the "High Chief" of the Icelandic Asatru. He agreed to meet with me at my hotel, and I am immensely grateful his time and generosity. He told me that academics typically translated his title as High Chief, but that his title really could not be translated into English. I was to call him Hilmar.

We spent a few hours together as I learned the history of contemporary Asatru in Iceland. Hilmar took me to see the site where the Temple will be built and then back to the offices of the Asatru Fellowship to see the architectural plans. In the car, I asked him about financing; having been involved with several nonprofits in the US, I know what a challenge that can be. You can guess how surprised I was when Hilmar told me they had never done any fundraising. Then he explained.

Lutheranism is the official religion of Iceland. Among other things, this means that every infant is registered as Lutheran at birth, taxes for each individual go to support the Church, and one cannot leave the Church until the age of 16.

Supporters of Asatru petitioned the government for recognition as a religion in 1972. The petition appeared to be stalled, according to Hilmar, until an unusual electrical storm brought a lightening strike to a major electricity plant. He smiled when he told me that. Asatru was recognized, but at the same time language made it clear that "new, made-up religions" could never be legal in Iceland.

Iceland has a small population, only about 326,000. Hilmar told me that approximately 1% of the population is Asatru. Although membership may have grown slowly at first, the taxes paid to the Fellowship by the government have been enough to allow it regular meeting and office space as well as to begin their temple. Although several other recently recognized religions applied for it, the land for the Temple was awarded to the Fellowship by the city of Reykjavik.

The site where it will stand has a view of both ocean and mountains. The hill is covered with brush and wind-stunted red birch trees. The Asatru are working with the National Forest Conservancy to ensure that the tress that can survive will be transplanted. The others will be used in the building.

The Temple will be dug into the lava and rock , leaving a wall 4 meters high in the back where water will gently fall and be gathered in a pool on the floor. The outside of the building will be wood, specially treated to face the harsh Icelandic winters. You can see from the illustration, that the roof is somewhat concave. Around the edge runs a wide band of glass that will allow the sun to paint different patterns of light on the large sanctuary below throughout the year. The very center of the concave roof will be burnished copper.

It wasn't until I saw photos of some of Iceland's 100 active volcanoes that I realized how very much the Temple will resemble a crater of the living earth at work. How wonderfully fitting for a Pagan Temple today!

- Wendy Griffin, Ph.D., Academic Dean