Paganism

Close to my present home, in betwee where I'm moving to, we find Torslunda church, serving Torslunda parish. Before the church was built, somewhere in early 1100, this was an important place of worship for the cult of the old norse God Thor. Torslunda means 'Thors grove' and there is also a well called Thors well. The street names around the church all have names after some of the norse gods like Odin, Thor, Balder, Sleipner (Odins horse), Freja, Ymer (a giant, killed by Thor and whos' body was used for creating heaven and earth), Loke, Ägir (another giant who ruled the sea), Idun (goddess of youth who gives apples to the gods so they can stay forever young), Brage (father of music and poetry) Ran (goddess of the deep sea, who catches drowned seamen in her net and let them rest on the bottom of the sea) and Munin (one of Odins ravens, who let Odin know what went on in the world.

Building a church on top of an old place of worship was often used by early Christians to manifest the power of the Christian God over the pagan gods.

My new home, not far from the church, is 300 metres from the old "viking" chiefs manor; Björnhovda, The Bears head. History is certainly present around here.