Paganism is the oldest belief that existed before Christianity dominated Europe. Although it has changed over time, it still exists in some communities by preserving its essence. We have compiled for you the pagan culture, which has certain teachings and festival-like rituals, starting from its historical origins.
Have you ever paid attention to the fairy tales or stories in European culture that have been passed down through generations? Mythological characters there pagan culture We can say that it is a work of art. If you ask why, the answer is very clear. Paganism was a belief that dominated Europe and even further afield long before monotheistic beliefs began to spread.
The relationship between Europeans and pagans was complex. When monotheistic beliefs and polytheistic beliefs began to conflict, nothing was the same. Pagan culture remained in fairy tales with its mythological features. Let’s examine this interesting culture together.
The word Paganism dates back to ancient times with its origin and history.
When Christianity emerged and began to spread in the 1st century AD, there were polytheistic beliefs in the Roman Empire. While it was believed that there was only one god in Christianity, it was very difficult to get along with those who believed that there was more than one god. People belonging to Christianity are communities with polytheistic beliefs. “pagan” He defined it as. “Paganism” is a word of Latin origin, derived from the word paganus, meaning peasant and countryside. In fact, its literal meaning is derogatory to non-Christians. That was the purpose of using it anyway.
In Turkish, it is used as the equivalent of idolatry. So what is this idolatry? If we look at the essence of the word idolatry, its exact equivalent in literature is ”idolatry” We see it as. This word derives from the Greek words eidolon (idol, idol) and latreia (worship). That is, monuments, cult images, etc. We can say that it is putting the images in the place of the creator and worshiping in front of them. They have no places of worship or written documents. Worship is performed as rituals by attributing it to spirits.
Beliefs in Scandinavian, Old Northern European, Greek and Mesopotamian cultures are expressed with paganism. The beliefs of tribes that believe in polytheistic religions are also defined as paganism. However, the history of the use of the word pagan with polytheistic beliefs is not exactly known.
Christian Europeans between the 15th and 19th centuries; When they began to spread to America, Europe and Asia, they encountered many types of paganism. For example today Hinduism They were introduced to the faith we call. In the 19th century, they called this belief Hindu paganism.
Today, we can talk about the existence of two types of paganism. These;
- Classical paganism and
- Modern/Neo-paganizmdir.
Now let’s take a closer look at these two types of paganism.
Classic paganism
In classical paganism, which is based on polytheistic religious traditions, nature is the main character. In addition to the sanctification of waters, trees or mountains, divine meaning is attributed to the sky or stars. The reason for the greater diversity is the multitude of gods. The belief that they affect human destiny is very strong. Because magic and magical events It is very common in classical paganism.
In fact, it is believed that the things they believe are divinity have gender. Feminine goddesses have a very special place in paganism beliefs, which they call feminine and masculine energy.
Modern/Neo-paganizm
This form of paganism is today It was formed under the influence of the modern world. This genre, which emerged against the disbelief of the modern world, is also against more systematic and institutional religions. Their harmony with nature and their opposition to individual freedoms are among their prominent features. They continue nature rituals similar to classical paganism.
Europe’s encounter with Paganism
The exact date when Europe began to recognize the religion of paganism is unknown, but Due to the invasions during the Viking period We can say that cultures started to meet each other. Europeans were introduced to pagan culture many times due to the Scandinavians traveling and settling in Europe. While some Europeans admired the pagan faith, others ignored it and saw it as dangerous for themselves.
However, during the Middle Ages, due to the spread of Christianity and the authoritarian power of the Catholic Church, conflicts between Christians and pagans were quite common. Those who continued to practice pagan beliefs and rituals began to be persecuted. One of the primary purposes of the Catholic Church It was to turn pagans into Christians. Eventually, many pagans were forced to convert under pressure.
The rise of paganism in Europe and Renaissance humanism
The rise of paganism in Europe dates back to Renaissance times. Polytheistic religions began to come to the fore in Renaissance humanism and were deemed worthy of research. The classical beliefs of Greece and Rome began to be reflected in works of art by Renaissance humanists. Looking at the polytheistic religions that existed before Christianity from a positive perspective He became a part of the romantic movement.
From Ireland to Russia, mythologies were increasingly adopted in art, poetry, and literature. Renaissance humanists were called pagans or neo-pagans by critics.
In the first half of the 20th century in Europe, the spread of pre-Christian religions and the emergence of new religions accelerated. Due to the origin of the word we are talking about, the modern pagan group, according to their traditions indigenous faith instead of paganism He preferred to give his name.
That’s enough historical information, now let’s look at the details of paganism.
Paganism symbol and meaning
As in every belief, there are symbols in paganism. We can even say that it is the belief with the most symbols. The most important of these is the 5-pointed star symbol, which has become the symbol of pagan culture. Pentagram There are elements represented by the corners of this star. These; are earth, air, fire and water. These elements are interpreted as the protectors of harmony and cycle.
Some teachings of paganism
Beliefs are shaped around certain teachings. There are also many teachings in the Paganism faith. These:
- Nature is sacred, there is a divine aspect in everything and existence.
- The soul continues to exist and be reborn after death.
- Pagans do not believe in Christ.
- Everyone is unique, and everyone’s spiritual experiences should be unique as well.
- Every being in the universe, visible and invisible, known and unknown, must be respected.
- The only reason for existence is mother nature. Everything belongs to him.
- Free thought and all living and non-living beings such as humans, animals, plants or stones should be respected.
- In rituals, a circle is drawn clockwise.
The festivals they have been continuing for years are very important for Paganism.
In pagan culture, rituals are usually performed at events called festivals. Each festival takes place in different time periods. Some of these festivals are:
- Midsummer Festival (Summer solstice): It is celebrated as the fire festival on the longest day of the year. It is celebrated on 21 June in the northern hemisphere and 22 December in the southern hemisphere.
- Mabon Festival: It is celebrated at the time of the equinox, when days and nights are equal. It is celebrated on September 21 in the northern hemisphere and March 21 in the southern hemisphere.
- Festivali reduction: It is celebrated on August 1. On this date, the first harvest of the year is made and nature completes its cycle. New seeds are prepared to be planted for next year.
- Beltaine Festival: It is the day when God and Goddess unite. It is celebrated on May 1 in the northern hemisphere and October 31 in the southern hemisphere. This is the time when the soil is most fertile.
We can say that paganism left important traces in European history. Many pagan traditions, beliefs and stories survive in the form of folklore and mythology. Mythological concepts, especially in fairy tales, are the best example of this situation.
“What is Paganism?” We have come to the end of this content where we answered the question and talked about its features. What was the most interesting thing to you about pagan culture? Let’s meet in the comments.
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