Ross Downing

University of the Highlands and Islands - UHI, Centre for Nordic Studies, MLitt, Researcher

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BA, MPhil, MLitt (distinction)
Sociology of Religion, History of Religion.
INFORM consultant.

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Articles by Ross Downing

Hashtag Heathens: Contemporary Germanic Pagan Feminine Visuals on Instagram

POMEGRANATE: THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAGAN STUDIES, VOL 21, NO 2 (2019), 2019

A rising number of young adult females use Instagram, posting pictures with hashtags which alert ... more A rising number of young adult females use Instagram, posting pictures with hashtags which alert Instagram users to their specific interests. Heathens have also begun to use Instagram and in order to better understand this new feature of the religious movement I interviewed fifteen Instagram account owners whom I identified by three factors.

1. Their use of three or more of the following hashtags: #norsewitch #heathengirl #seidr #volva #galdr #norsepagan #heathensofInstagram #witch #runes #viking #shamanism #witchesofInstagram
2. Their personal identification as Heathen, Asatru, Norse Pagan, or otherwise expressing spiritual belief in a Nordic mythology.
3. The account had at least 500 followers, indicating the likelihood of having an impact on Heathens, Pagans, and sympathetic individuals.

My focus is to document the processes and dynamics of Instagram as a medium for religious communication from the point of view of producers of religious content: the alpha Instagram account owners. The data shows that these young females apply significant theological thought in their posts and most have a strong sense of responsibility to teach others about Heathenry. The data departs from previous research on Instagram and Heathenry in that the account owners appear to have altruistic motives in the first instance and an affirmative non-political epistemology in the second.

Theses by Ross Downing

A Heathen Mecca: Interpreting the International Germanic Contemporary Pagan Response to the Icelandic Temple.

In 2008, in Iceland, the Germanic Contemporary Pagan (Heathen) organisation Ásatrúarfélagið pu... more In 2008, in Iceland, the Germanic Contemporary Pagan (Heathen) organisation Ásatrúarfélagið purchased land to begin building a partly state-funded temple in Reykjavik. It was covered by international media variously as ‘first Viking temple in 1000 years’. As of January 2017 the temple remains unfinished, but in the last 8 years since its announcement, four Heathen temples have been built or purchased by groups in the US, UK, Spain and Denmark, also using the same headline in their promotion. All four groups share a Folkish (racialist) interpretation of Heathenship which is opposed by Ásatrúarfélagið and many other Heathens around the world. A number of events within the Heathen community in the last two years show a growing polarisation and division between Folkish and non-Folkish Heathens. This thesis uses data from interviews with 78 Heathens in North, Central, and South Americas, Africa, Europe, Australasia and Asia, as well as using a questionnaire with 110 US Heathens. The data shows that many Heathens perceive Folkish Heathens as in competition with the Icelandic temple. Moreover, the Icelandic temple is a beacon for change and inspiration among Heathens. Nearly all of my 188 informants intend to visit the temple, proving it is a significant turning point for this New Religious Movement, bringing a sense of strengthened confidence and international community. The data also indicates that racialist organisations’ own temples are representative of competing religious ‘market forces’. This, in turn, has led to non-Folkish Heathens becoming more confident and communicative, and closing ranks against racialist Heathens. This activity, indicates that many Heathens believe the temple itself will improve public relations and their social standing, numbers and ability to practice publicly; living more open and influential religious lives.

Bodies become stars: numinous transformation of physical damage in Heathen cosmology

Victories of Jihad 2015: After 35 years of Holy War in Afghanistan

15 primary data sources from a range of source types have been chosen in order to assess the meas... more 15 primary data sources from a range of source types have been chosen in order to assess the measure of influence the Jihad in Afghanistan has shaping the religiosity of non-militants within the last decade. All sources are from between 2004 and 2013, and include UN, US, Afghanistan and European origens. Secondary material has been used to aid analysis. The material shows a picture that Jihadist influence appears parallel to the current government, where failures and aims are actually quite similar. There is evidence that Jihadists have compromised some of their ideology in order to gain more influence. It also appears that Jihadists are influencing local communities to compromise from aligning with the government to accepting Jihadist support specifically in the area of education and religious intolerance. The fears and suspicion about the current government also appear to generate support for the Jihadists. In an international perspective there may be reason to believe that many Muslim beliefs and practices in Afghanistan are not much different from other countries, however the unique characteristics that are there do relate to Jihadist influence, or allow for greater Jihadist influence.

Drafts by Ross Downing

Aspects of the role of women in Viking mythology and ritual practices

RDowning. Visions of the past: between commodification and identity in contemporary runic mysticism