Frith is a concept found in many Norse Heathen spaces. At its core, Frith is what we feel when we experience a sense of honest welcome in social interactions. Receiving a nice compliment, partaking in a congratulatory high-five, enjoying a hearty toast, and other forms of simple camaraderie are all things that evoke Frith.

Frith is perhaps the most basic love-language we have for each other. As a non-romantic but essential form of intimacy, Frith evokes the baseline connection we have between each other as people. While Frith itself is not a doctrine, it’s a principle many heathens value within Norse pagan practice.

Hospitality is a general act of positive reception towards other people, be they guests or longtime friends or family. Hospitality is a way Frith is promoted in a community. It’s a demonstration that you are interested in fostering the wellbeing of another person on a very general level. The act of passing the horn during sumbel—offering a share of goodwill in the form of a beverage—is an example of hospitality inherent in Heathen practice.