Well met friends
I am a Nordic pagan and with my faith comes misunderstanding I will list them shortly.
But I wish to make it clear that our faith is reconstructive by great definition and so strayed ones will use it for bastardized ways and justifications of unflattering ideas and actions.
1.(That we are exclusive) This is far from the case Scandinavians intermingled all over the world this knowledge tells us the Nordic pagans were not against intermingling and cultural exchange.
2.(Valhalla and Folkvangr)With the findings in Scandinavia and of a saga of a faithful woman.
You do not need to die in battle to go to these places.
She was a devout follower of the goddess Freya and starved herself so that she may dine alongside her beloved goddess and she actually ended up dining with her.
as we should not exclude the gods do not exclude the way we die but how we lived before we died they don't separate only dead warriors but good and productive people that bring something to the table.
3. (Helheim) If we are to believe Hel takes only bad and mundane everyday people, Gods will lose Ragnar?k by sheer number(Hel rallies the underworlds dead from Helheim into Lokis army).
Findings show that many were farmers, traders, raiders, and voyagers and fishermen.
Another reason is in Poetic and Pros edda, we dont hear the deeds in detail of the gods/goddesses like Eir Njord Bokkr due to them being core gods of everyday life. It was left out on purpose.
I believe your actions defined who you sat across from. We consider our gods as great friends and ones who tried to earas it was trying to make it harder for people to tell it from word to mouth (it's more straightforward to read a book than believe a Skald), like how some people think Facebook is credible for information.
It also tells in the form of warfare, not heavy/and strategic quick and steady attacks, they concentrated on skills rather than warfare/army tactics. The authors of our sources did this to create a (My god is easier to practice and look how silly/complicated yours are tactic to convert more people).
Now remember this is my reconstructive understanding of my faith with more evidence we can develop a more accurate idea of how to worship. Skoll!!!