Paganism facts for kids
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In the past, especially during the time of early Christianity, the word paganism was used to describe many different religious practices. It usually referred to people who believed in many gods, not just one. These were people in the Roman Empire who did not follow Christianity or Judaism.
Sometimes, people were called "pagan" because they lived in the countryside, away from the cities where Christianity was growing. Other words used for pagans included heathen and gentile. A common way to tell if someone was pagan or Christian was by whether they took part in special ceremonies that involved offerings, which were a big part of Greco-Roman religion.
Later, during the Middle Ages and after, Christians often used "pagan" to describe any group that wasn't Christian. This often suggested they believed in false gods. In the 1800s, some artists and writers who were inspired by the ancient world started using "pagan" to describe themselves. In the 1900s, people who practiced modern paganism also began to use the term for their own beliefs.
Modern pagan religions often include beliefs and practices like nature worship. These are often different from the beliefs of the world's largest religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. What we know about old pagan religions comes from studying ancient writings, archaeological finds, and research into different cultures. Most modern pagan religions believe in many gods (polytheistic), or see divinity in everything (pantheistic or panentheistic), or believe spirits are in nature (animistic). Some are also monotheistic, meaning they believe in one god.
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What is Paganism?
Where Did the Word "Pagan" Come From?
The word pagan comes from an old Latin word, paganus. This word originally meant someone from the countryside or a villager. It could also mean a "civilian" or "non-soldier" in the Roman army.
Early Christians sometimes saw themselves as "soldiers of Christ." So, they might have used "paganus" to mean someone who was not a "soldier of Christ," or simply a "civilian" outside their religious group.
Over time, by the mid-300s, paganus started to mean someone who was not part of the Christian community. For example, after the city of Rome was attacked in 410 AD, some people wondered if the old gods had protected the city better than the Christian God. In response, a writer named Augustine of Hippo wrote a book called The City of God against the Pagans. He used "pagan" to describe those who were not part of the "city of God," meaning the Christian community.
Other Old Names for Non-Christians
In the eastern part of the Roman Empire, where people spoke Greek, non-Christians were often called Hellenes. This word originally meant "Greeks," but it started to mean people who followed the traditional Greek religions. Early Christians, many of whom were Jewish, used this term to distinguish themselves from those who followed Greek culture and religion.
Another word, "heathen," comes from an old English word, hæðen, which meant "not Christian or Jewish." This word might have come from a Gothic word used to translate "Hellene" in an early Bible translation. It could also be related to a word meaning "dwelling on the heath" (a type of open land), suggesting people from rural areas. Today, "Heathen" is sometimes used by people who practice modern Germanic pagan religions.
Paganism Through History
Ancient Times
Long ago, in prehistoric times, people had many different beliefs about the world around them. As civilizations grew, like in the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age, people in places like Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Ancient Iran developed complex religions with many gods and goddesses.
During classical antiquity, the Greeks and Romans had rich polytheistic religions. They worshipped many gods and goddesses, built temples, and performed rituals as part of their daily lives and civic duties.
How Ancient Ideas Were Kept Alive
As Christianity grew in the Roman Empire, it became the main religion. However, many ancient ideas and philosophies from Greek and Roman times were still important. Scholars and thinkers, even those who were Christian, found ways to study and preserve these old texts. Sometimes, they would explain these ideas in a way that fit with Christian beliefs, or they would focus on the parts that were about science or logic, rather than religion.
In the Byzantine Empire (the Eastern Roman Empire), and later in the Arabic world, many ancient Greek writings on philosophy, science, and medicine were carefully copied and studied. Non-Muslim communities, like the Sabians in the city of Harran, played a special role. They openly followed their ancient traditions, which helped them preserve and pass on knowledge from Greek and Babylonian times, especially in areas like astronomy and mathematics. This way, many valuable ideas from the ancient world were saved and later shared with other cultures, including those in Europe.
Paganism in Albania
In Albania, even after Christianity became widespread in the 300s AD, many old folk religious practices continued. People in remote mountain areas, especially, kept their ancient traditions alive. These traditions mixed with Christian and later Muslim beliefs, but some pagan rituals, like fire ceremonies for traditional festivals, remained strong. The traditional Albanian customary law, called the Kanun, also shows influences from an older pagan code that was important to all Albanian tribes.
Postclassical History
In some isolated areas, like Mani in Greece, people continued to follow old Greek religions much later than in other parts of the empire. It took hundreds of years for Christianity to be fully accepted there.
Modern Times: A New Look at Old Ways
In the 1800s, there was a lot of interest in old myths and fairy tales. Scholars like the Brothers Grimm collected folk stories, believing they showed the ancient beliefs of a country. Poets and writers also explored pagan themes, sometimes comparing the joy of ancient pagan life with the seriousness of the Christian world. This period, called Romanticism, also saw people becoming interested in the ancient cultures of the Celts, Slavs, and Vikings.
In Italy, after the Papal States ended, some people became interested in bringing back Roman religious practices. Groups formed to study and revive ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman rituals.
In the 1960s and 1970s, there was a new rise in modern pagan movements. Groups like neo-Druidism and Wicca became more popular. Wicca, in particular, was influenced by feminism, leading to movements that worshipped a Goddess. Books like Drawing Down the Moon and The Spiral Dance helped more people learn about paganism. Large pagan gatherings and festivals also started to grow.
The 1980s and 1990s saw more serious study of ancient pagan traditions and efforts to reconstruct them. The growth of the Internet in the 1990s helped these movements spread even faster. After the Dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, people in Russia and other new countries gained more religious freedom, allowing both Christian and non-Christian religions to grow.
Modern Paganism Today
In the 2000s, groups like Associazione Tradizionale Pietas in Italy began rebuilding temples and seeking official recognition for their ancient Roman religion. They also participate in events like the European Congress of Ethnic Religions, working for the recognition of European ethnic religions. Public rituals, such as celebrating the ancient festival of the Natale di Roma, have also started again.
The idea of practicing Roman religion has spread beyond Italy to other countries. One well-known international group is Nova Roma, founded in 1998.
Modern paganism, also called Neopaganism, includes many different traditions. Some groups try to reconstruct ancient religions, like Roman Polytheistic Reconstructionism, Hellenism (Greek religion), Slavic Native Faith, Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism, or Heathenry (Germanic/Norse religion). Other groups are more eclectic, meaning they combine different ideas, like Wicca and Neo-Druidism.
However, there can be differences between groups. For example, some reconstructionists focus on being very accurate to ancient sources, while others, like some Wiccans, might have different ideas about magic or which holidays to celebrate.
Many modern pagans believe that the natural world is divine. Paganism is often described as an Earth religion, focusing on respect for nature.
Different Kinds of Modern Paganism
To help understand the different types of paganism, some people use these terms:
- Neopaganism: This is the general term for modern pagan revival movements. These religions often honor nature, are based on pre-Christian beliefs, and include modern values. Examples include Wicca, Neo-Druidism, Heathenry, and Slavic Native Faith.
- Paleopaganism: This term refers to the original, ancient polytheistic religions that were centered on nature. Examples include the ancient Greek and Roman religions, or the early Germanic and Celtic religions before Christianity.
- Mesopaganism: This describes groups that have been influenced by religions like Christianity or Islam, but have still kept their own unique religious practices. An example is British Traditional Wicca.
What Modern Pagan Religions Believe
Modern pagan religions often share some common traits:
- Many Gods: They usually believe in many divine beings, which might be seen as different aspects of a larger divine force.
- Nature-Based: They often see nature as sacred and a direct expression of the divine.
- Sacred Feminine: Many recognize a female divine principle, often called "the Goddess," alongside or instead of a male divine principle.
In countries like Iceland, nearly 2% of the population belongs to Ásatrúarfélagið, a modern Germanic pagan group. In Lithuania, many people practice Romuva, which is a revived version of their country's pre-Christian religion. Lithuania was one of the last places in Europe to become Christian.
Ethnic religions of pre-Christian Europe
- Proto-Indo-European mythology
- Albanian paganism
- Baltic mythology
- Basque mythology
- Celtic polytheism
- Etruscan mythology
- Finnic mythologies
- Germanic paganism
- Ancient Greek religion
- Minoan religion
- Mari religion
- Norse mythology
- Religion in ancient Rome
- Sámi shamanism
- Slavic paganism
- Thracian religion
See also
In Spanish: Paganismo para niños
- Animism
- Anitism
- Dharmic religions
- East Asian religions
- Eleusinian Mysteries
- Henotheism
- Kemetism
- List of pagans
- List of modern pagan movements
- List of modern pagan temples
- List of religions and spiritual traditions
- Myth and ritual
- Naturalistic pantheism
- Nature worship
- Panentheism
- Polytheism
- Secular paganism
- Sentientism
- Totemism
- Virtuous pagan
- Worship of heavenly bodies
