Sounds of SAND #54 Nordic Animism: Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen (Encore)
May 29, 2025
Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen, a historian of religion with a PhD from Uppsala University, dives into the fascinating world of Nordic animism. He discusses the vital connection between ancestral traditions and modern environmental activism. Rune emphasizes the importance of decolonizing perspectives to revive indigenous practices amid contemporary challenges. Listeners learn about the emotional ties to ancestry, the role of reciprocity in spiritual practices, and how animism can offer solutions to issues like isolation and polarization in today's society.
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Decolonizing Whiteness Through Animism
- Nordic Animism aims to decolonize whiteness by recovering European animist ways of knowing.
- It challenges destructive Eurocentric views and seeks less harmful relations with nature.
Colonial Rejection of Animism
- Colonization included rejecting animist knowledge in Europe alongside racial oppression elsewhere.
- Animism was historically devalued but is now being reclaimed as valid spiritual knowledge.
Animism Is Universal Yet Local
- Animism is universal but always local and culture-specific, reflecting local ecosystems.
- Nordic animism relates to Northern European landscapes and traditions specifically.
