Paganism

The prehistoric site ofStonehengewas used forritualsthat would now be considered pagan

Paganismis a term that covers a great number ofspiritualandreligiousbeliefs, and someone who follows one of these beliefs is known as a Pagan. Some of those in ancient times, who are calledPaganstoday, believed there was not just onegodbut a number of gods and goddesses. The stories fromGreek mythologyare famous examples from a pagan religion. Pagans usually focus onspiritualityandnature,rather than ondoctrinesanddogma.Not all pagans arepolytheists(belief in more than one god). Some of them aremonotheists(belief in only one god).

The wordpagan(withoutacapitalP) is often used to describe anyone who holds religious beliefs that differ from the main world religions. A similar term isheathen.Today Pagan, with a capitalP,often refers to people who follow Neo-Pagan religions that honour the Earth. The best known Neo-Pagan religion isWicca.Another well-known neo-pagan faith isDruidism,but there are many other Neo-Pagan religions with different beliefs.

Some pagan and neo-pagan religions

• Ancient Meitei paganism
• Asatru
• Baltic paganism
• Greek religion
  • Dodekatheism (Hellenism)
• Celtic reconstructionist paganism
• Druidism
• Finnish paganism
• Germanic paganism
• Kemetism
• Slavic paganism
• Tengrism
• Tenrikyo
• Wicca

Surviving religions of earlier cultures

Enough has survived of the ancient religions of cultures from pre-modernAfrica,South America,New GuineaandJapanto give us quite a clear picture. Since African slaves were taken to both South America and theUnited States,it is no surprise that their beliefs and practices still survive. Not, of course, as the main religion, but they do survive.

In a similar way, but much less well documented, are the ancient religions of other groups such as theAinuin Japan, the tribes inNew Guinea,the many tribes inAmazonia,and the fractured remnants of traditional religions in African countries.

All these groups have one thing in common: they are not part offarmingrevolution which happened in theMiddle East,and which spread quickly toEurasia.The religions which started there are called thereligions of the bookbecause their original beliefs were written down. Of course,writingwas one of the original inventions of a settled people, one able to invest time and energy into activities which would be far more difficult for more traditional peoples.

Other websites

• Usenet newsgroup for Pagans
• The Witches Voice, a networking and education site