UnderComics.com ([info]undercomics) wrote in [info]azpagans,
@ 2008-09-07 22:42:00
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Current mood:inquisitive

What it means.
Hi. I am not new to LJ but at this present time you may call me a newbie since, yet again, I have made a new username. yeay... Anyways down to it, I have always been interested in Paganism I would be delighted to have someone please explain in their own words what it is about, what do you do, what does it mean to call your self a pagan? Also I did a search for Norse Mythology in LJ since me and my BF are insterested in it :D I wear Thor's hammer Mjöllnir around my neck every day. It is the only piece of jewelry that has never irritated my skin. Mostly also cause I made the necklas out of leftover knitting yarn. :D But what relation does Norse Mythology have with Paganism. I have learned that most mythologies and religions started from the Norse mythology...

oh btw I am from Chandler/Tempe/Mesa border area! wee.


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[info]lordsluk
2008-09-08 04:27 pm UTC (link)
I guess it depends on your definition of paganism. The term was first coined by Julius Ceasar as a derogatory term for the Gaul druids of southern Italy. It means bumpkin or commoner.

Norse mythology goes back to pre-history.

Many cultures in Europe go back to pre-history.

I define modern paganism as a return to polytheistic earth based religion.

Hope that helps.

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[info]undercomics
2008-09-08 04:29 pm UTC (link)
You said it's polytheistic, where can i find the type of gods or goddesses that are in paganism!?

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[info]lordsluk
2008-09-08 04:40 pm UTC (link)
Each pagan religion has it's own pantheon of Gods and Goddesses. Maybe a book on Norse mythology is a good place to start learning about it.

Check out Encyclopedia Mythica

http://www.pantheon.org/areas/mythology/europe/norse/articles.html

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[info]mimameid
2008-09-08 07:18 pm UTC (link)
Reading the Poetic and Prose Eddas are a great start to getting to know the Gods, as much of the information surrounding Them are located there. There are several translations of the Eddas, but Sacred Texts host two translations. (http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/pre/index.htm & http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/). Under the Pagan umbrella, there is also the Asatru practice. I would recommend checking them out for information as well.

I've never heard that most mythologies started with the Norse. Where did you hear that from?

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[info]budoka
2008-09-09 12:57 am UTC (link)
I don't know if most mythologies started with the Norse but I do know that many mythologies from different cultures have similar themes. Plus there was a lot of borrowing from other cultures in order to make one's own religion appeal to those of other religions. For example, the Greeks and Romans shared many of the same deities and you will find deities in Celtic mythology that are similar to those of Greece and Rome. Similar to this you will find that Buddhist adopted some of the Shinto practices as it spread throughout Japan. This practice of adopting local mythology/religion helps make the adopting mythology/religion more appealing or at least seem less obtrusive. As one theory suggests, the Roman holiday of Satyrnalia, a week long celebration, which coincided with Yule eventually becomes the Feast of Sol Invictus, which in turn becomes Christmas. A prime example of adopting the practices of other religions.

My personal take on Paganism is that it is a generic term for any religion that isn't one of the major religions like Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism and paganism is largely Earth based and polytheistic.

In my own practice, I have adopted rituals and practices from multiple sources including Celtic, Shinto, Native American and Thelema. Basically, I've taken what works best for me and work with those without discounting the rest. My biggest gripe about religion in general is that many people seem to forget that all religions teach us how to be better people. It matters not what God or Goddess you subscribe to. There is an old Buddhist saying, "There are many paths that lead to the top of the mountain but from the top we all see the same moon."

Edited at 2008-09-09 01:00 am UTC

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