Origin from 1987
The Troth is a Heathen religious organization founded in the United States in 1987, originally as the Ring of Troth, later renamed The Troth. It holds an explicitly universalist position, open to members regardless of ancestry, in contrast to the folkish position that restricts Heathen practice to people of Germanic or Northern European descent, and its membership policy explicitly excludes folkish and racialist positions. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Origins
Origin PeriodSourced to the subject's own account FounderSourced to the subject's own accountFounding figures included Edred Thorsson (Stephen Flowers), who later left the organization amid Heathenry's folkish versus universalist split. 1 FoundedSourced to the subject's own accountFounded 1987 as the Ring of Troth, United States. 1 Status
Status TodaySourced to the subject's own accountLiving tradition, practised today 1 Current StatusSourced to the subject's own accountActive; ordains its own clergy and operates as one of the largest universalist Heathen organizations. 1 Classification
ActivitySourced to the subject's own accountWorship and Religious Practice 1 Organisation
Distinguishing FeatureSourced to the subject's own accountExplicitly universalist: membership is open regardless of ancestry, and the organization's policies bar folkish and racialist positions, placing it opposite the folkish position within Heathenry's central access dispute. 1 Controversy
Point in DisputeSourced to the subject's own accountThe Troth's universalist stance sits opposite the folkish position found elsewhere within Heathenry. 1 Connections
Associated With
This source names The Troth directly: "general-reference article on The Troth, a continuously edited tertiary source with no fixed publication year, accessed 2026-08-19."
Source Wikipedia, "The Troth"Wikipedia contributors
Belongs to Tradition
Source Wikipedia, "The Troth"Wikipedia contributors
Contained In
Source The Troth: Our Organization
Founded By
One of several founding figures; later left amid the folkish versus universalist split.
Source Wikipedia, "The Troth"Wikipedia contributors
Originated In
Source Wikipedia, "The Troth"Wikipedia contributors
Successor Of
Source Wikipedia, "The Troth"Wikipedia contributors
Sources
1. Wikipedia, "The Troth"
Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedialead paragraph
The Troth, formerly the Ring of Troth, is an American-based international heathen organization.
Wikipedia: The Troth, lede paragraph
The Troth, formerly the Ring of Troth, is an American-based international heathen organization.
Introduction, activity
is an American-based international heathen organization.
- Successor Of: Asatru Free Assembly
- Originated In: United States, Stored founding-origin property on this entity, cited to this source: Founded 1987 as the Ring of Troth, United States.
In Group: Heathen and Asatru Organisations, Introduction, sentence 1
The Troth, formerly the Ring of Troth, is an American-based international heathen organization.
View the Source The Troth: Our Organization
The TrothContained In: United States, Our organizationQuote, Contained In: United States, Our organization
The Troth is an international Heathen organization based in the United States and is a non-profit corporation registered in the state of Texas.
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