I would like to aske persons of Pagan beliefs2please generously inform me the origins of Paganism,history?

Question

history of Paganism please :o)
Thank U!!
(this questioner's sole purpose is to contact/correspond with Pagan's or someone who is authentically educated w/paganism--do not wish to hear any "preaching" from particuliar faiths)

thank u for ur time

Answer 1

"Paganus" originally meant someone who lived in a "pagus", ie, a rural administrative district. In Christian usage it gradually took on the meaning of non-Christian, since it was assumed that people who lived in such rural areas had not been Christianized. It wasn't particularly a derogatory label until late in the Empire, when it acquired the dual connotation of "hick" and "non-Christian". The people referred to as "Paganus" may have thought of themselves as "pagani" in relation to where they lived (if they lived in a pagus), but they wouldn't have applied the term to their religious practices. So the term "pagan" (in a religious context) was originally a label that was applied to a group of people, not from themselves, but from a culture outside of their own. To learn the beliefs of these ancient peoples, one would need to study their individual cultures.

A person calling themselves "pagan" is a relatively new practice which may at best be traced back to the Modern Pagan movement of the Romantic period. I usually use the word "neo-pagan" (neo- means new) to indicate the difference between modern polytheists (like me) and the historical pagans who practiced their indigenous way of life. Many neo-pagans (but not all) practice a polytheistic religion and honor pre-Christian deities. There are many different beliefs and practices that fall under the umbrella term neo-pagan and it is difficult to accurately describe traits that they all have in common. It would be similar to try to describe all monotheists---the beliefs and practices are just too diverse. Some of the well-known neo-pagan religions include Traditional Wicca, Neo-Wicca, Druidism, Asatru, Kemeticism, Hellenismos, Celtic Reconstructionism, Religion Romana, Stregheria, Shamanism, etc. Each of these religions have differrent histories, beliefs, and practices.

Answer 2

Dear Joy,

If you'd like to discuss this, please feel free to contact me either through IM or email.

Lazarus