The Absence of Gods in Pagan Folk Beliefs
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- Опубликовано: 8 авг 2023
- Where are the gods in Pagan Folk Beliefs? Perhaps a little bit overshadowed by the ancestral spirits, trickster spirits, fairies, elves, landspirits, wights, and so on and so forth.
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#religion #paganism #animism
As an animist myself I find that this is where I have found myself. Not so concerned with the divine entities as a central focus as in a formal worship. But rather how to incorporate ideas of the spiritual into my everyday life. I don't actually have deities. I tend to think in terms of spirits of things much less gods of things. Thank you for all your work. I do enjoy hearing what you have to say. I have learned some good things from you. Thank you.
Most of the neo-pagans I know are way too focused on gods and goddesses, as most of the newagers are all about angels, and people in my family and my patients are all for the saints and god or christ or whatever.
When I used to go to a pagan fest, one of the things I did was to kneel to thank the Earth spirits for their support and ask for forgiveness since I was going to dance and stomp around; I was always grateful for the fountains and thanked the Water spirits for the refreshment they privide (my go-to phrase is "blessed be the water in all of its forms"), whenever I walk in a forest I ask for permission getting inside, I ask for permission if I need to take anything (be it blackberries, nettles, a piece of moss, a nice stone that caught my eye, a sheep tooth or a bone or whatever - and if the answer is no I leave whatever it is there)... sometimes I felt overwhelmed by voices, as if a bunch of people were screaming right inside my head...but knowing that these things that I did since I was a child are more similar to what other people used to do in the past is quite comforting, especially since I can't usually talk about what I do or why, being surrou dedicato by catholics or gods-believers...
Some typos due to the fact that I wrote using my mobile phone and it tried switching back to my first language...sorry, I hope that the meaning is clear nonetheless...
The worst one is at the end, where I am "surrounded by", and not "surrogato whatever"...
I have gods, but see them in an Animistic light, no organized pantheon with hierarchies based on human social structures of the elite . And being in the country the land and house spirits get lots of offerings and praise
@@Wolfparadox this makes more sense to me. I am mainly agnostic, I grew up in a heavily catholic environment, but religion has deeply disappointed me, time after time...but the spirits are all here, inside most of the things around us, and our ancestors were here before us and can still be felt, and so on... I admire those who have a solid and sane relationship with the gods (also with a god, if that makes them happy), but I cannot stand the hypocrisy behind the people that I wrote about in the comments. For most of them, I need to burn, or to repent, or to change my wicked ways, or to meditate while burning a whole sage plantation and ringing singing bowls while wearing crystals on and inside me. Thanks, but that is not what I feel nor seek, and if everyone feels so shaken by my "wicked ways" that they need to shove their hell down my throat, probably their spirituality is not that strong in the first place. With the spirits is different, it's like having neighbors. And I like to have a good relationship with my neighbors, even if it's not always simple.
The gods are the meeting point of the psyche and the natural forces. That's where the "magic" is that's where the power is. Throw one or the other out, the point is missed
@@Wolfparadox no need to tell you that one must do what is right for them. One reason to "worship" a particular pantheon is to come closer to our ancestors. Regardless of where we come from, our ancestors were pagan. Involving ourselves with the pantheons of our ancestors is a powerful way to connect with them and learn something about ourselves
It is interesting to think that maybe the description of a god says a lot about the psychology of their inventor
Dear friend, if this video is your fuzzy speech I don't know what to say....THANK YOU FOR GIVING YOUR THOUGHTS precisely words that absoluty resonates with mine/us too. You are a great 📣 for our collective thoughts. Thank you Arith for showing up and beeing a super polite Creator. Greetings to you and the lovely community here.
Hello there! Thank you for such a lovely comment and positive feedback :D much appreciated! I'm happy this video was useful in some way hehe. All the best to you and yours. Many blessings friend!
second to that !! - my brain fog interferes with my speech to the extent of alot of swearing and pointing : )
@@alysmarcus7747same !!
My favourite teacher of Scandinavian studies and paganism(s) by far. Your work and your spirit are inspiring. Thank you, Arith ☀
This is eye opening for me on some of my struggles moving from atheism to norse paganism. Thank you for this.
Subscribers are important and must grow, the bet is important and rewarding! Congratulations!
That was wonderful. I've been around a wide variety of Neo and Reconstructionist Pagans for many years, and used to belong, at one time, to several online discussion groups, and moots, now all sadly gone by the wayside. I miss the wide ranging, knowledgeable, diverse discussions, and conversations, about every aspect of Paganism we could think of. Listening to you calls to mind some of the best of those conversations, and I am grateful to you. Thank you.
I just vibe with the universe and the archetypes that nature represents in different ways.
every word that you have spoken on this video i believe to be right ....... If only the vast majority of the people of this world, would wake up to the way they are manipulated , and make a stand against that manipulation the planet would have a chance as would we of a better life , however it is so ingrained in them I can never see it happening , take care my dear friend and thank you for your words !
I think that the reason for this might be that pagans specifically shun the specifically masculine depictions of control. As a witch, I prefer to attribute aspects of spirituality and life on a more diverse and understandable system. The entire “god moves in mysterious ways” schtick is simply nonsensical. MOST mainstream religions are “Of the penis, by the penis and for the penis”. They either ignore, denigrate or subjugate women. Give me a Goddess of the hearth, a God of the hunt or any other entity that has a specialized aspect instead of a jealous, narcissistic, unnecessarily cruel “master”. It would have been lovely if when the priests had said “ we will pray to our invisible friend and take your money and tithes and you will work” the people said “suck eggs, you lazy sots!”. History has not corrected that and thus we are doomed.
Historic Norse society was a pretty misogynistic one with very strict gender roles and a great fear of men being perceived as unmanly. Most modern pagan paths are pretty egalitarian and women-empowering, but it’s definitely not a universal trait of pagans.
If anybody wants to see just how not far hoomans have come over the millennium, all they have to do is consider how horribly everyone still treats women.
Those who have turned any of _your_ "invisible friend's" creation away from him/her will be and are in the process of being judged much more harshly than your wounded soul.
Are mercy, truth, and justice acceptable qualities of _your_ "invisible friend?" Because those are the things "they" encompass. No creator hates their creation. Your innermost suffering and cries are indeed, heard and seen, empathetically and by, shall we say, remote viewing. As it turns out, "God" loves you, for real. May you see the judgment against all haters, and be welcomed into the new earth with happiness and complete healing. So mote it be, dear sister.
By "most mainstream religions" do you very specifically mean the three abrahamic religions, which while widespread are hardly representative of religion globally? In any case, I don't see how the issue is which made up person you sit talking to, as much as why people won't devote that time and energy to practical improvements of their community. Orthopraxy, not orthodoxy.
@@allisonguthrie8257as a pagan women, I acknowledge that truth. Not sure where women were treated with equality anywhere at that time. Or anytime. But my hope lies with the ability for pagan traditions to morph and grow with us. We control our spirituality. Unlike christians who always want to devolve.
@@PlatinumAltaria judaism is NOT a mainstream religion wtf?
Ariths thumbnails are always awesome!
I literally have nothing to add. We're on the same page.
Mr.Arith, tell me how we can reward you for your work, I know views are important and so are comments, but can we do something more?
Thank you for your work, so responsible, educational and of enormous importance for knowledge!
Arith, I have always valued your insight and the sharing of your education in this field. Thank you again for your insight on this topic and honestly the title had me confused but very interested. You did a great job in explaining this topic in my opinion.
Following for a long time and always inspired! Your thoughts and information gives us the power to be more critical of what’s being shouted and listen more to the whispers of the great unconscious and to place your feet on the earth and understand. Thankyou!
Curious, I thought that the gods would always be present in paganism! Very informative thank you!
💯
So much to consider.... No time room for Gods, at least for me.
This was a lovely talk and absolutely beautiful company, thank you!
Your videos are always wonderful, have no doubt about that. I realised watching this today, I actually look forward to seeing you and your videos. Your face and your voice are always welcomed, as is your knowledge. I think I’ll just start saying a simple “thank you” for your time and effort. So, that being said: Thank You and Blessings,❤.
❤ Thanks Arith Härger! Very interesting as always ❤
Thank you for being in there, as always :)
@ Yes i am, FOREVER!💌
I enjoyed experiencing a refresher talk on this topic. Thank you. And enjoyed your charming personality, also.
Thank you for this--you make so many important points, especially about the over-emphasis on gods by Christian writers who provide the source material for modern Paganism. In our paths, we focus on the Earth and its persons (human and non-) themselves rather than deities of any kind, and this feels somehow more on-topic to a Pagan way of life and to reverence for Life itself.
"Our path".
100% of paganism was reinvented by new age marketing to get people like you to buy crystals
Pagan by definition and the history of the word literally just means any religion that isn’t Christian.
@@zzodysseuszz no. It meant specific practicioners and practices of polytheistic roman empire.
What you said about how the gods and spirits changed to become more human in appearance reflecting the power structures of society really hit me as I have been pondering this myself lately. Primarily from a focus on environmentalism and climate change, and the anthropocentric worldview that has engineered our current problems. If you decide to dedicate a video to this I would love to see it.
ChristosAvatarAscension channel
Always so positive in energy and intent. Im grateful to your spirit and self fir akeays being so polite and patient in your manner. Always educational and have helped me in my understandings over the last 5,6 years. Have ❤🧡💛💚💙🩵💜 blessed day
Thank you for the video. For a “just a thought” video, a conclusion of a deeper connection with our surroundings and world seemed…well, so, you. (Meant in a good way). It is really informative and completely logical if one thinks about it. The fact is, however, that we are so filled with false stories passed down through the ages, as you said!
So well put. Very useful, and useful ways to explain these concepts and differences to others. Thank you ❤
You always give me things to ponder. I appreciate your knowledge and willingness to share. Thank you.
And certainly in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Britain, another source of written history about pagan beliefs was done by those who were educated; the clergy. A great deal of information was collected by the priests.
Thank you so much for bringing this information out, and shining a light on it.
Your presentation is like those shared between family and friends. It's an honest journey of discovery for all around the table.
I have found through my many decades and many international friendships that most people (the providers) in varying cultures had folk beliefs and customs that are different from that of the elites.
Most focus on ancestors, land spirits, and protection magic for self, family, home, and possessions. Nothing flamboyant, but simple things that have been proven through the centuries.
Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts about the real beliefs and practices of our ancestors.
🌿
Awesome, I like your inputs. Very useful knowledge. Thank you.
Thank you Arith, it was a very helpful and good video to listen to
Fantastic video as always, my dear friend :) It's funny but your videos on animism always seem to drop right when I need them most. Like many Pagans, I sometimes feel myself being too drawn toward the gods and neglect forming relationships with the very essence of the land around me. I set up my alter and do my prayers to very human looking figurines of Thor or Freyja. I sometimes wonder why I get so caught up in their appearance instead of what they represent.
I see Thor not as a large red-bearded white man with a hammer, but in the mighty thunderstorm that topples a giant oak limb out of my tree but somehow manages to place it so that it somehow misses my roof, my daughters room, my fence, and even the tiny security camera in the backyard. I see Freyja not as a gorgeous blonde woman, but as the force that brought an amazing cat into my life that needed a good home. The look these gods are said to have in the Eddas does not factor into how I feel they sometimes interact with me when I need their help.
Furthermore, while I feel a connection and appreciation of my offerings to the gods, the times I feel most connected to earth and most spiritually at peace is when I am quietly walking in the woods. My hands running over the rough bark of a tree, the earth itself thrumming with physical life and a very real presence of Other Persons throughout. The gods are clearly important, but I get such a spiritual jolt when I walk through these old and largely untouched places. The synergy of energies working with and off on another is palpable. I really should spend more time opening up to these good neighbors and learning to work with them more closely.
just catching Arith, excellent as usual.
Loved this!!!❤
Great video brother!
A lot of good information to consider, thank you!
"Religion and state have always walked hand in hand."
💡That's why "churches" don't pay taxes!
It's also the reason why you should never give money to a church if you can avoid it.
Thank you for sharing your infinite wisdom Arith. After thousands of years we are still being ruled by the "elite".
Only in a just society, they truly are the "elite" in some way. Elite in strength and intelligence, for example, and they got to their position (or kept it) through personal strength. For a very long time now, we are ruled by the very bottom scrapings of the garbage barrel of humanity. They are elite in nothing but sociopathy.
Time for a rebellion
Who is "the elite"?
Happy Birthday, Arith! Whenever it is. 🎉
Your the best, I appreciate your time, truly
"my brains a little fuzzy"... *Proceeds to deliver an exceptionally articulate and well thought out lecture. 😆💚
No need to apologize for being fuzzy headed, you articulated this video absolutely perfectly Arith! We all have our off days and its totally okay mate.
Very useful! Thank you!
Your words are so true brother, we need to unplug from todays society & take that time to connect with whats around us. Arith you have helped me grow over these years into the individual I am & given me a far greater understanding of my place in this realm 🤟 Keep spreading your knowledge brother 🖤 every rain drop forms a puddle, which forms a stream, which forms a river & eventually it forms an OCEAN 🌊🌊🌊
Look up "hand sign for the devil."
Dear Arith,
Very usefull !!!!!!
Love this!
That was very interesting. Thank you.
Wow, So much to ponder on!
Love your stuff kick on love it
OCD vigilant here, nvr let my guard down. 🛡⚔️🪓🏹
Thank you brother. For your wisdom..
I enjoyed this one. Thanks
This feels much more natural to me as a person than a pantheon of gods. I have always felt more divine presence in nature more than I ever have at large formal gatherings with elaborate ceremonies. It allows me to experience a more personalized approach to showing my reverence to the natural world, and the divine within. It is much more intimate to me when I personally carve a symbol or rune into something I have crafted myself. Maybe that is my calling.
Thank you, for making my vague thoughts cleare
I hadn't thought quite this way but it makes a lot of sense.
Gratidão por todo conhecimento sempre 🤘🤘🤘🔥🔥💜
I did enjoy your lecture.
I have always had this feeling that vast majority of the people drawn to paganism are the type of folks, who'd been priests and/or other religio-spiritual professionals back in the day. Most of the "common" people didn't care about gods all that much back in the day and their current equivalents usually don't have much of a reason to be religious at all in today's world, not to mention being pagan specifically.
Thank you’ this definitely resonates with me 🖖
I could imagine that maybe the common folk could have felt that they had no right to keep a relationship with the gods alive, that the elite were able to influence them so much that they felt inferior enough not to see that the gods were there for all. The elite built up this distance wirh their actions. So it was not just the every day struggles which required actions from other spiritual beings, i think it was also a feeling of not qualifying for more. Great post Arith, thank you!
Love ya Brother!
Thank you 🙏 I have been told how wrong I was because I didn't do like someone wanted, I thank you so much for giving us a space to be us. I have found that I am not ok with any kind of organized thing like a coven because I don't bow to someone's will well because I know what's in my heart. For a long time I didn't even really understand I was for lack of better words doing Animism until I found your channel. I just knew what I had learned from my grandma and great great aunt as a kid and then it grew from there inside myself. So I don't know if that made any sense because I often get tripped up on my words. Also thank you for not hiding how much you talk with your hands, I do the same always have and got in trouble for it all the time. In some ways it's funny/not funny that I will be 58 in a couple of weeks and it wasn't until I was around 50 that I started finally following my true hearts path and letting my husband and daughter really see that part of me. The amazing thing is after a couple of years of watching me but always supporting me they both then started following their true hearts path as well. So we have come closer through that even though while we do some things together we are all 3 a little different from each other on the things we do. You have been a true teacher ever since I first came across your page about 4 or 5 years ago, both in helping me understanding what I had always been doing, but also a wonderful teacher of history which has always been a love and passion of mine. In truth you have the job I always called my dream job, I got to volunteer for a couple of summers in highschool on a dig site and got hooked. So you truly are a awesome teacher on many levels, but a true teacher helping the student understand with out forcing things down people's throats. Ok so like I said I don't know if I made any sense because I can't always think in a straight line but just know you are appreciated and I know not just by myself but by almost everyone here.
Olá amigo! você poderia, por gentileza, fazer um vídeo explicando o que é animismo em português? vi sue vídeo da Trebaruna e amei, e sempre que alguém me pergunta sobre minha fé mando seus vídeos, mas nem todo mundo consegue usar as legendas em português, e nem todos sabem inglês. Seu conteúdo é de uma qualidade inestimável e seu trabalho aqui no yt é importante 🙏🏼. Muito obrigado pelo conhecimento que vc tá compartilhando conosco sempre.
E esse teu vídeo ficou EXCELENTE, eu achava que era um pagão preguiçoso pq focava menos nessa coisa de interação com os deuses e muito mais nas coisas quotidianas, mas tô vendo que estou no caminho certo hehehehheh
Oii, vc é br? Se for tenho uns conselhos pra te dar em relação a alguns RUclipsrs
Arith: I can see your swollen sinuses (nose area, eye areas). Here's my solution--1) lie face down with your face on a pillow 2)cross your hands/arms under your head 3) reposition your head/face little by little until you sense a bit of relief and stay in that position. Your sinuses should now drain. This worked better than heat for me in my aching sinus days. Feel better soon!
I always learn something, or at least gain new things to think on from your little chats
Even when they are unscripted and just coming out of your head "live" as it were
I dont consider myelf as belonging to any neo-pagan group, and much of what i believe i expect many of them would not believe or agree with
I think given the ephemeral nature of "Faith" for want of a better word, that it should be up to the individual what they believe and disbelieve
Which is why i appreciate these videos, you dont tell us what we should or shouldnt believe, you offer us a banquet of various foods and drinks (metaphorically) and let us choose what we choose to consume
Thanks for the day
Thank you dear friend for such shrewd insights. I was wondering myself about the discrepancies between the historical written material on pagan beliefs and customs and the folk beliefs and customs which survived to this day, which are rarely gods oriented and more pragmatic in nature. I guess you can never exclude the socioeconomic influences on anything people do. Hearing and thinking about all this, it's quite obvious that a group of people has to acquire a certain amount of security and welfare before it can be drawn toward finding deeper answers of existence, to point their gaze up to the skies. In that manner we are much closer to the nobility of old than to the common peasant folk. We live in riches and comforts which overshadow anything the nobility of old had. No wonder we are gods oriented. Our basic human needs for security and welfare are mostly covered from the moment we are born.
No wonder fertility rituals lost their significance through time. For the peasants of old, timely rain and arrival of spring were matters of life and death
and made the difference between abundance and disaster.
For most of us today, it's just a minor distraction, a difference between a joyful or a somewhat uncomfortable holiday.
Also if you look through this prism, most new agers of today are pretty well of.
No wonder America as the most affluent country of the day is the greatest hub of new age, neo pagan, yoga etc. practitioners, aiming to find higher meaning in their lives oversaturated with consumer comforts. In comparison, I guess a much lesser percentage of todays ghetto and slum folk are interested into finding deeper answers. They are too busy surviving on a daily basis. In that manner they are much closer to the mentality of the peasants of old. One thing which stands in the way for us hypercivilised people to have a more intimate connection with the spirits of nature is the environment we live in. Most of us live in todays modern cities and towns. The only conscious encounters I had with elemental beings was in deep natue, alone at night.
It's hard to sense any subtle presence when you live in a highly light polluted city which never sleeps and where even at night there's hardly any darkness and your senses are drawn towards the outer material forms which surround you on a 24/7 basis. Your senses becomes blind for anything else. It's also pretty hard to feel connected to nature as a whole while you are sitting in your car in a rush hour column waiting for the light to turn green.
I guess the way for us modern day pagans is not to try mimic the life of the pagans of old (except for the lucky few of us who are living in pristine nature), but to be pragmatic and adapted to the world we are living in, just like they were.
For example, when I was a kid, my bycicle was my horse, I treated it as a living being, I still do.
I talk to my car, it has a name and personality, I pray and mentaly draw runes upon it for protection before longer journeys. I greet the spirits of the cities and towns I'm visiting, just like greeting spirits of the mountains I'm passing by on the way.
Who knows? Maybe while trying to protect and enjoy what's left of untouched nature we should look for new connections in our highly changed world. Who says that the modern IT hardware and technology doesnt have spirits attached to them, just like places of nature do?
Paganism is and always was a living entity which evolved through time. It changed and adapted according to the changing world. It's pragmaticism, adaptability, inherent connection to nature and freedom from dogmas makes it the toughest and most durable of all worldviews and I'm sure it will burry and outlive the monotheistic deviation. It's like weeds.
Burn them, poison them, concrete them, eventualy in time they will always start sprouting again.
I see the Incan civilisation with their harmonious blend of paganism combined with highly sophisticated engineering as a role model we could have for the times to come and as a way forward out of this deadlock we are living in.
Instead of trying be pagans of old and many times ridiculing ourselves in the process, we should strive to be pagans of new. Adding new layers, new colours, new themes as our generations contribution to this ancient living organism of thought.
I think the forefathers of old would just laugh at many things modern day neopagans and new agers do trying to imitate them.
Some things which made perfect sense long ago, could be just silly if you try to copy them taken out of context.
I guess this is the revived paganisms childhood phase we are living in.
Imitiating with little or no understanding untill we mature enough to invent our own stuff and conections.
Thank you once again dear brother,
and may gods, spirits, and ancestors protect and guide all who are striving all along the journey
Valuable insights for those studying pagan lore.
I say this a lot, but this a very important video. As a commonfolk myself I find this really satisfying to hear ❤
Totally agree. Things like stine henge, callanish etc had a functional purpose in the lives of hunters, sea farers and farmers. They're shrouded in mysticism but they had a more important function as meeting places and almanacs. Humans first priority has been survival. We do have a deep psychological preference for things that look like us though, so I wonder if that has played a role in the major religions success. I always think of the garden of Eden and wonder why was it a snake? But then weren't snakes associated with water, fertility and abundance in prechristian religions of the area and important spiritual figures? Can most of the old testament be boiled down to marketing and creating bad PR for competing beliefs 😂
The most isolated or marginalized Ethnic-culture groups have preserved pagan folk traditions within the umbrella context of Christianity. Santeria and Voodoo traditions of Afro-Caribbean diaspora are an excellent example. The Appalachia region of the United States has many ecstatic traditions like speaking in tongues and snake handlers. The German people’s St. Nicholas and Krampus festivals have roots in paganism. English and Welsh traditions around Christmas like Wassail have their roots in the Wild Hunt. Easter egg painting and hunts.
Good stuff
Wonderful presentation, many thanks for this. And as you say it is worth remembering that the ''folk'', while not privelged, were not retarded. Until rather recent times MOST people, even the powerful, were illiterate... but not stupid. when I was reading Egil's Saga i noted that many of the characters had a strong moral code, but they didn't worry too much (or at all) about ''the Gods'', or supernatural punishment or reward. It reminds me very much of the philosophy of Epicurus, who thought that divinties exist, but they don't conceren themselves with us and we should not try to bother them. Having said that, I totally agree with you that, Hellenic and Roman paganism differs in all sorts of important ways from Norse, Celtic, and Finnish paganism. There is almost no ''priesthood'' in the Northern paganisms. Some might suggest the Druids were a prieslty class but we know almost nothing about the Druids apart from what the Romans said about them, observed through a VERY Roman-pagan lens. Thanks again for this thought provoking material..!
Very well put. It's common to find profound wisdom amongst the simple people which deal with nature and its forces - despite being surrounded by the official religions and their gods of the order. Down deep many people suspect the real intentions of the 'gods' and manifest some sort of pagan practices in their spiritual life, even without being aware of it.
They might not have had preisthoods. But they seem to have people who were initiates of a deeper sacred knowledge and those who werent.
@@johncollins211there were temples. There were priests.
The "folk" were not *ignorant*. PLEASE do not use the word 'retarded': it is an ableist slur, and has been recognised as such for decades.
@@gracecarpinter8623 it CAN be used as an slur, but in this case I hope not since it was applied to a large and highly abstract group of people who are long dead, and well beyond being offended by my describing them as ''NOT retarded'. Many thanks for your advice. Out of interest, who do you think I was 'slurring'?
thank you
I think this is a complicated question with more than one answer. Of course, our ancestors venerated place-spirits quite a bit.
It's also true that deities could lose their obvious Godlike status. A good example of this would be Frau Holle in Germany, and her close relative Baba Yaga in Russia. As I mention in my book (Bogowie- A Study of Eastern Europe's Ancient Gods) there's actually pretty extensive evidence that these figures reference a kind of archaic European hag goddess associated with winter. Yet they survived as little more than fairy tale characters in many regions.
Another caveat is that the definition of a "God" was not always what we imagine. A figure like the Irish Donn could be a deceased mythological "first-ancestor." Like the Vedic Yama, he could be concieved of as the first man to die, and hence the Lord of the Underworld. Which could effectively make him a deity posthumously. In other words, the division between deities and mythic ancestors was often shaky or nonexistent.
This was very interesting! Thanks for giving this insight. I still use old Polish language/culture curses, learned from my grandmother and mother, which surely pre-date the Christianization of our culture. It is difficult to seperate our "folk" culture from the modern Christian culture with which it has been so thoroughly imbued. But the curses we still use, one having to do with wolf's blood and cholera, do conjure our ancient ways!
I needed this. I found my faith. Then I went to an asatru blot and... It felt empty... This is why
Thank you for helping me find words and meaning
You are an animist?
You are an animist?
Mr Harger can you make a video specifically about alfar and dwergar.
I already have one on the dvergar, if in not mistaken it's on the Gods and Mythology folder. On the Alfar I have several loose content on some videos but indeed I'll focus on that subject and probably on the Wights as well, eventually. Cheers!
@ Thanks 🙏
Very interesting. It would be good though if you could say something about the sources for this information. The folk beliefs you talk about sound very similar to those recorded in early modern times. But how do we know it was the same in pagan times, a thousand years earlier? I haven’t seen evidence from this period of these kinds of folk beliefs, though I would love to if it is there. Also, evidence about how these animistic forces took on human form under the influence of elites would be good too, because it sounds very plausible, but do we have the data back it up? Many thanks 🙏
humans are such dominating creatures no matter what they are doing. kinda sad really. I so agree with your words of being more cooperative and kind to this world . . .and wish that those steps had been taken very long ago. Thankyou for this Arith.
Thanks. I'm knitting a hat and listening.
In the books I read, written by neo pagan priests or priestesses, I find spirituality turns out to be modern psychology, full of consideration about their personnal life and their ego. Personnaly I never got that type of help from the gods and your speech clarifies things for me, as I like mixing herbs in pockets and gathering feathers and stones to influence on my life. I am more a witch than a priestess. I can't help being surprised when Morrigan help someone getting a promotion or things like that... Things that have nothing to do with a real war or battle, as if gods have adapted their morals to our modern world. Thank you Arith to get us thinking about.
Well don’t expect that from psychology either. It’s not considered a genuine field of science for a reason. It’s highly unreliable and statistically most studies on psychology can’t be proven or get proven wrong later.
New camera? looks good
I spend a lot more time venerating and calling on ancestors and land spirits, and think of gods as more abstract or distant and less interested in individual human affairs, but they aren't disinterested in humans as a whole, so I worship and call on gods to help with bigger picture stuff.
I note that the Orea Linda mentioned that a group created a caste of priests that confounded, mislead and sexually abused people. They created a language of code where they could communicate their plans among themselves to obscure it from the common people.
Since the Ragnarok Event of Scandinavian Folk Lore is detailed as the Nephilim War in the Books of Enoch & Jubilees. Means the Scandinavian Pantheon ( and all the other little " g " gods ) were in fact the Nephilim.
Because the 100 mile x 100 mile Vigard Battle Plain is somewhere at the Base of Mount Vincent Massive ( Tallest Peak , and Tomb of the fallen Watchers ) on the Island Continent of the Antarctic. ( Imagine what is just laying on the Ground Down There ( Underneath 2 miles of Ice ) ?
Felt this for a long time too. There's so many superstitious and traditions - why, who for, where did they come from! But outside of any religious framework, in fact afaik certainly in the UK the church wasn't keen on folk traditions and superstitions. Suggesting to me at least these practices pre-date the church.
Oh a great topic for a video would be Norse constellations, if any knowledge survives. What did they call them and any legends attached
I love your videos because they are so thought-provoking. A good video topic for you, since I would like to know more about how the common believed:
You mentioned archaeology as a way we learn about the ancient commoners, but I’d like to hear about the limits of archaeology. Even today- people filter archaeological findings through their own modern lens of understanding.
Yes… I got a lot out of this video. Thank you for producing a clear and concise perspective of what it truly means to be human while at the same time exposing the mind control aspect of religion that’s always projected on us by the ruling elite.
I dream about what life could really be if we could collectively purge this false religious paradigm of the Abrahamic religions from our reality.
But I digress … as I truly wonder if the masses could handle such mental freedom …. could we truly manage our societies without this rigid religious control structure that seemingly keeps the masses within certain boundaries ?
We would truly have to return to tribal life I’m thinking. But it would seem impossible due to western society destroying indigenous cultures and ethnicities due to the giant melting pot that is the hallmark of western society. Can we overcome multi-culturalism ?
Peace & Love Arith … your work is greatly appreciated.
Arith, The Gods are alive & present in Eastern Slavic Paganism
But our Pagan beliefs & Mythology were destroyed by the Orthodox Christians
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på kanalen min er det fantastiske videoer om gudene
Most people don't even know what they believe, much less why they believe it.
Pre-christian spiritual practices worldwide were more similar( think cousins and siblings) than the multitude of nonsense Abrahamic denominations are to eachother.
Keep speaking that galdur my Norse friend!
Honestly i find more a difference of perspective than essence between a "proper" god or a fairy. I'm more oriented on genius loci, lares, mani and nymphae cult sometimes than my patron gods like Venus or Mercurius or Iuppiter... they're all deities.
The gods, especially nameless lesser gods of local natural or domesic phenomena absolutely were present and important in ancient religions, even to common people.
Household shrines and attending public festivals was and still is common in polytheistic societies always, and gods were always important. The focus wasn't mostly on ancestors or lesser gods and less on "greater" gods but roughly equal, sometimes slightly favouring one over the others.
I don't know why people would prefer fluffy bunny vague "earth worship"/animism type of "paganism" than actual polytheistic religions in the way that they actually existed and exis today.
Animism was important in polytheistic religions, but it's at it's core just a variant of polytheism and the distinction between a spirit and a god is nonexistent. One wasn't prioritised over the other in ancient times or in modern Polytheism e.g. Hinduism.
Most ancient common folk were equally preoccupied with worshipping gods, ancestors and spirits.
and all of that is total dumbass bs without having any kind of knowledge.
I really thought that this was about the AFA, is that a dog whistle?
Very interesting video.
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