A Question to all Pagans, Wican, Druids, Celtics?

Question

What is your total community strength in the World and in (Europe and America seperately).
Do you have religious books which can tell me a detailed and a comprehensive record of all Religious beliefs , Customs, Traditions Mythological Hystories of Gods, Goddesses Believed by The ancient Romans, Greeks, Nordic people.

Really I aint against anyone, its because the Church has destroyed everything I think You may be my last Source of help to Find Authentic ancient traditions and ancient Faiths.

Answer 1

Total numbers in the community is up for debate. 100,000 in the US was a number tossed around a few years back - but there's no central authority to record the data, so there's a lot of extrapolation going on with that.

There's no one book that gives a comprehensive and in-depth record of all of the ancient religions. There's a book by Margot Adler called "Drawing Down the Moon" that gives a high-level of modern Paganism, but that's about the closest. For a more comprehensive view of a culture's religion, you'll need to zoom in a bit more.

The Greeks and Romans had more writings that survived, so you'll be able to find better information about them, but a reasonably high amount of information survived on the Nordic & Germanic folks.

If you're looking for authentic, factual information on the ancient practices, what you'll probably want to take a look at is called Reconstructionism (typically designated by a specific cultural tag, such as "Roman Reconstructionism," though you'll also see cultural-specific names such as Asatru (Nordic), Hellenism (Greek), and Religio Romana (Roman)). Reconstructionism combines archaeology, anthropology, mythology, and folklore to rebuild the ancient faiths as close to the original as possible (allowing for modern adaptations, of course - nobody's trying to live in the Iron Age, for example).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytheistic_reconstructionism should give more details, as well as some resources. Most Reconstuctionist religions have a reading list as long as your arm, hence the nickname "religion with homework."

Answer 2

There is no detailed record of all of the Pagan beliefs. Ancient Pagans didn't keep records, as their lifestyles usually forced them to keep such things in Oral Tradition.

I suggest you look at Archeology as your source for such things. As Modern Pagans, we will only give you what we personally believe and that may be something that has several cultures mixed in. Such as Wiccans use a lot from Celtic and Egyptian traditions mixed to form one religion. The Druids, well, there is absolutely no record of what they used to do as far as their religious rituals and beliefs go. They are guessed at. The Celts were a tribal people, much like the Native Americans... Some things were written down, but at such a later date that the writing itself can not be considered a good representation.

The most detailed Pagan religions I have found in history are Egyptian, Roman/Greek and for that you would have to go to the Mythology section of your local bookstore. But the stories in them are good representations of how those ancient people viewed those Gods and Goddess'.

Happy Hunting.

Answer 3

Sigh i'll't trust you've maximum of those persons interior an analogous sentance. Celt is a language crew, a race in case you may want to, of people in Europe. They used to conceal a lot of peninsular Europe and the British Isles. Welsh and Gaelic are area of the Celtic language crew. Celts are those who communicate those languages or are decended from those who once did. A witch is someone who's in a position to verify issues ensue by the means of his or her thoughts. The previous be conscious for it Wicce, from which the be conscious Wicca (see lower than) has been taken, replaced into probably more desirable alongside the traces of a Shaman. Dispite the insistance of many, the be conscious has no actual non secular connations in both experience. A Wiccan is a follower of a faith publicized with the help of one Gerald Gardner a touch more desirable than 1/2 a century in the past. that's a synchretic faith blending Celtic, eastern, Egyptian and some Biblical techniques. A Druid replaced into once the religious elite of a few Celtic societies. Now the be conscious refers to those who attempt to recreate and practice the pre-Christian faith of the historic Celts in a cutting-edge form. I resembling Druids. The be conscious Pagan refers to every person who isn't Christian, Muslim or Jewish. Neo-Pagans are those who practice cutting-edge or recreated Pagan religions, as hostile to Hindu, Shinto, and classic tribal religions that were practiced because the first light of time. devil worshippers are those who worship the Christian God of Evil. (i assume it is the devil you're speaking about).

Answer 4

http://www.witchvox.com/_x.html?c=trads :This website will give you some information on various pagan paths. Some also include websites and books for further information.

What you are asking for is a couple different subjects. Asatru is the tradition that focuses on Nordic cultures and pantheon. For Romans and Greeks look up mythology and then historical accounts of how they lived.

I only have suggestions because I don't work with any of those mentioned above. I am a solitary witch and I work with Egyptian deities.

Answer 5

True Pagans are by their nature anarchistic, hence dont feel the need to form groups or communities. Pagans worshipped, respected and feared nature. Who needs to be told about the sun, moon and earth, theyre here, now, and are clearly what gave us life. Hence they are gods. The oceans, mountains, wind etc are spirits who will just as likely crush you as sustain you, hence the need for great respect.
Rituals are based on respect for the spirits, and hence performed in the realms of those spirits. Books (bible etc) are not necessary, for no man nor woman has the right to determine how others should show respect. These books therefore are mere dogma and do nothing for enlightenment.
There is a (lets call him a demi..) god, and that is PAN the god of nature, life and death. Being a satyr, half man half goat, you can see where and why the Christians got their image of their "Devil" from. Christians didnt like the competition from the "Old God".

Answer 6

I am Celtic by ancestry. The earliest writings were destroyed by the Romans. They are gone forever. I believe this happened by 600AD. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.) After that, the Celtic lands became Christian. Research St. Patrick. The oldest surving book is the book of Kells.

Regardless, don't ignore the Bible. It seems to have withstood the test of time with Celtic people.

BTW, being pagan or wiccan does not equal being a Celt. The Pagans and wiccans want to hijack our heritage.

Answer 7

Its sad that christians still want our blood even after all these centuries, they still think Pagans are evil and wont stop until the last Pagan is gone.

Answer 8

I'll bet you thought that was clever.

Adder_Astros
Powerful Member of the House of Light.
[]xxxxx[];;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;>.
adderastros.com is temporarily down for renovation.