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Modern paganism

From Tilcayo Cats, the lean encyclopaedia by Tilcayo Knowledge Systems
Tilcayo Cats original · British Bees · Sources and editorial assessment · Originals retention rule

Modern paganism is a family of religious movements that look to the pre-Christian religions of Europe and elsewhere for inspiration. It includes Wicca, Druidry, Heathenry and the native faith movements of the Baltic and Slavic lands.[1][2][3]

The name

For the history of the word "pagan", see Paganism. Practitioners do not all like the same labels: many Druids, for example, prefer "Old Religion" or "Ancestral Religion" to "Neopaganism".[4]

Reconstruction and eclecticism

The scholar Michael Strmiska describes modern paganism as a spectrum. At one end, reconstructionists rebuild old religions through careful study of texts, archaeology and languages. At the other, eclectic pagans borrow freely from many cultures.[5] Eclecticism tends to drift towards New Age ideas, while reconstruction is strongest in Eastern Europe, where ethnic identity matters a great deal.[6] In Strmiska's phrase, reconstructionists romanticise the past while eclectics idealise the future.[7]

Reconstruction faces a problem with sources. Much "pagan" lore, such as the Icelandic Eddas and sagas, was written down by Christians, so how faithfully it records older belief is uncertain.[1] Some Heathens dislike the word "reconstruction" altogether and prefer to say they are polytheists drawing on the past.[8]

Gods and world order

Female deities are given special emphasis across modern paganism; Goddess Spirituality draws on Marija Gimbutas's theory of an ancient matriarchy.[9] Many traditions honour a principle of cosmic order, such as Norse orlog or wyrd, Greek harmonia and Lithuanian darnumas.[10] Spirits of the land and of nature appear in Norse and Lithuanian practice.[11][12]

Ritual

Modern pagan rituals often follow the seasons, with bonfires and offerings of food and drink. Indoors, candles and incense are used in place of fires.[13] Wicca's eight festivals, the Wheel of the Year, combine Celtic, Germanic and other sources.[14]

Claims of ancient roots

Some pagans use the theory of a shared Proto-Indo-European heritage to claim great antiquity for their beliefs. Strmiska notes that the location of the Indo-European homeland is still debated and that most of the texts used are medieval.[15] Feminist pagans often reject the Indo-European "golden age", seeing it instead as an invasion that ended a peaceful matriarchal society.[16] The misuse of Indo-European theory by the Nazis has also cast a shadow over the field.[17] The dates of Christianisation differ from country to country, which shapes each movement's idea of its own golden age.[7]

In Wicca's case, historians have rejected the idea that it is a direct survival of an ancient witch religion.[18][19]

Movements

  • Wicca, created in England in the mid-20th century.[20]
  • Druidry, described as both an ancient and a modern spiritual path.[2]
  • Heathenry, drawing on Norse and Germanic sources.[21]
  • Ukrainian Native Faith, including RUNVira, a "reformed" faith centred on the god Dazhboh understood as impersonal cosmic energy.[3]
  • Romuva in Lithuania, which honours goddesses such as Zemyna (earth), Laima (fate) and Saule (sun). Lithuanian pagans take pride that their country was the last in Europe to accept Christianity, officially in 1386.[12][7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Strmiska, Michael F., ed. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. pp. 18–19.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Strmiska, Michael F., ed. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. pp. 88–91.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Strmiska, Michael F., ed. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. pp. 225–226.
  4. ↑ Strmiska, Michael F., ed. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. p. 88.
  5. ↑ Strmiska, Michael F., ed. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. pp. 19–20.
  6. ↑ Strmiska, Michael F., ed. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. pp. 20–21.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Strmiska, Michael F., ed. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. p. 22.
  8. ↑ Strmiska, Michael F., ed. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. pp. 184–185.
  9. ↑ Strmiska, Michael F., ed. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. p. 37.
  10. ↑ Strmiska, Michael F., ed. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. p. 38.
  11. ↑ Strmiska, Michael F., ed. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. p. 139.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Strmiska, Michael F., ed. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. pp. 257–258.
  13. ↑ Strmiska, Michael F., ed. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. pp. 40–41.
  14. ↑ Strmiska, Michael F., ed. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. p. 40.
  15. ↑ Strmiska, Michael F., ed. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. pp. 22–24.
  16. ↑ Strmiska, Michael F., ed. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. p. 24.
  17. ↑ Strmiska, Michael F., ed. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. pp. 24–25.
  18. ↑ Callow, John (2025). Gerald Gardner and the Creation of Wicca. Elements in Magic. Cambridge University Press. p. 19.
  19. ↑ Pearson, Joanne (2007). "Introduction". Wicca and the Christian Heritage: Ritual, Sex and Magic. Routledge.
  20. ↑ Callow, John (2025). Gerald Gardner and the Creation of Wicca. Elements in Magic. Cambridge University Press. pp. 1–3.
  21. ↑ Strmiska, Michael F., ed. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. pp. 139–141.
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