does Heathen and Pagan have the same meaning ( correction from my original question)?

Question

If they are the same can they be used interchangably?

Answer 1

Both mean different things to different people, but they are related in history, as concepts, if not in their linguistic origins. To monotheists, like Jews, Christians and Muslims, pagans who worship different gods are seen as "heathens', or "infidels" (unfaithful, uncivilized). But to Pagans themselves, monotheists were seen as just as threatening to THEIR world order, as when newly-Christian Romans invaded Pagan countries.

An article in Wikipedia states: "Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "a country dweller" or "civilian") is a term which, from a western perspective, has come to connote a broad set of spiritual or religious beliefs and practices of natural or polytheistic religions. The term can be defined broadly, to encompass many or most of the faith traditions outside the Abrahamic monotheistic group of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This group may include the Dharmic religions, which may be interpreted to incorporate pagan characteristics like nature-worship, polytheism and reverence of female deities, and are thus diametrically opposite to the Abrahamic faiths." (See more below)

In the same article, it states: "Heathen is from Old English hæðen "not Christian or Jewish", (c.f. Old Norse heiðinn). Historically, the term was probably influenced by Gothic haiþi "dwelling on the heath", appearing as haiþno in Ulfilas' bible as "gentile woman," (translating the Greek in Mark 7:26). This translation probably influenced by Latin paganus, "country dweller", or it was chosen because of its similarity to the Greek ethne, "gentile". It has even been suggested that Gothic haiþi is not related to "heath" at all, but rather a loan from Armenian hethanos, itself loaned from Greek ethnos."

So. though Pagans did not see themselves as "lesser", the words "pagan" as well as "heathen" had negative connotations for most Christians, Jews and Muslims. Many other people have
bizarre ideas about Pagans as well, due to ignorance and religious inculcation.

(More of the above article: "Pagan" is the usual translation of the Islamic term mushrik, which refers to 'one who worships something other than The God of Abraham'. Ethnologists avoid the term "paganism," with its uncertain and varied meanings, in referring to traditional or historic faiths, preferring more precise categories such as shamanism, polytheism or animism. The term is also used to describe earth-based Native American religions and mythologies, though few Native Americans call themselves or their cultures "pagan". Historically, the term "pagan" has usually had pejorative connotations among westerners, comparable to heathen, infidel and kafir (كافر) in Islam. In modern times, though, the words "pagan" or "paganism" have become widely and openly used by some practitioners of certain spiritual paths outside the Abrahamic and Dharmic religious mainstream to describe their beliefs, practices, and organized movements.
During the expansion of the Sokoto Caliphate in West Africa, Islamic Fulbe (Fula) labelled their non-Muslim neighbours, such as this Kapsiki diviner, Kirdi, or "pagans".
During the expansion of the Sokoto Caliphate in West Africa, Islamic Fulbe (Fula) labelled their non-Muslim neighbours, such as this Kapsiki diviner, Kirdi, or "pagans". (1)

Answer 2

In most "common usage", they're fairly similar - using dictionary definitions, they both refer to folks who are (religiously) non-Abrahamic. Now, that's a wide category, so it rather sloppily gets tossed at everyone from atheists to Buddhists.

For a more specialized usage, most people today use the word Pagan to describe a collection of modern religions based on/inspired by pre-Christian European religions. In that context, Heathen refers to northern European (almost solely Nordic/Germanic, though there's been some usage in the Celtic areas too) traditions.

Answer 3

both Ymmo and Frau summed it up. Recons base thier practices and traditions on what became, what all of us understand, no longer what we are expecting of. An social gathering (no offense to Wiccans) is that if someone calls quarters it truly is not any longer recon. Recons will search for suggestion from 80 books by using 60 different folklorist and archeologist, debate it into the floor, come to a end and then do it. Any recon will giggle at that because you freaking understand i'm precise.

Answer 4

No.
A Pagan is any follower of a non-mainstream religion.
A Heathen is specifically a follower of a Northern European, Nordic, or Norse based religion.