What is Paganism? Beyond Myths and Misconceptions

What is paganism? How have its practices survived through the centuries? In a world where beliefs are often misunderstood or oversimplified, this article aims to unveil the true essence of paganism, from its ancient roots to its modern revival.

Origins and Characteristics of Paganism

A Religion Without a Proper Name

First and foremost, it's important to understand that most pagans didn't name their religions . This lack of naming stems from the fact that these religions were neither closed nor proselytizing, and foreign deities were often integrated into the various established pantheons . To illustrate this point, one need only recall the Romans worshipping Isis , or Celtic deities, in addition to their original gods. For the pagan, therefore, there weren't several religions, but rather a single religion encompassing numerous different pantheons.

Transition to Paganism with Christianity

The concept of paganism therefore only emerged with the beginnings of Christianity . The word pagan, derived from the Latin word *pagus*, meaning "country" or "country," and sharing the same root as *peasant*, was soon adopted under Emperor Theodosius II to designate any non-Christian religion. The word's origin in *pagus* stems from the fact that paganism persisted longer in rural areas and isolated communities than in large urban centers. This is the most commonly accepted explanation.

Paganism in the Roman Empire

It is important to remember, however, that Rome was a bastion of paganism , and this remained so until a very late period, well after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The people were easily converted to the religion of the desert because it praised the poor and the weak , promising them a wonderful and eternal afterlife. The Late Roman Empire was the ideal period for the explosion of monotheism. Indeed, the empire was experiencing numerous economic and monetary crises ; the price of wheat had risen, and the number of poor people was becoming a serious problem for the imperial authorities. The conversion of the emperors ensured them the support of the people and temporarily eliminated the risk of riots and popular uprisings. But Roman intellectuals remained pagan as long as their worship was tolerated, and even beyond, secretly continuing to worship the old gods.

The True Origin of the Term

The association between pagans and peasants is therefore erroneous , and this hypothesis must be rejected. By examining ancient writings, we can find a version much closer to the truth. Indeed, Tertullian , a Carthaginian writer of the ^3rd century CE, distinguishes between the " miles christi " (soldiers of Christ, Christians) and the " pagana fides " (those faithful to the land, pagans). But loyalty to the land is in no way related to agriculture, as the latter signifies loyalty to the emperor and the imperial cult. The empire (the land) being associated with the emperor (still pagan at that time), the pagana fides therefore designates those faithful to the pagan religion, and thus to the emperor, unlike the Christians who considered the latter a heretic. This is the true origin of the word "paganism"...

Paganism was therefore the religion of the emperor, the religion of the country, the original religion . But since Roman religion was open to other polytheistic religions, can we then apply the term "paganism" only to the Jupiterian pantheon? No, of course not, but neither should we fall into the opposite extreme and call everything that is not Christian "pagan." (In the Song of Roland, for example, the Arabs are called pagans, which is an aberration.) Paganism applies primarily to the Indo-European polytheistic religions that encountered Christianity during the Late Roman Empire. These religions are linked by various common concepts, which I will list below, and which allowed for the intermingling of the different pantheons under the Roman Empire at its pagan height.

Essence and Practices of Paganism

The Fundamental Characteristics of Pagan Religions

First, these religions are fundamentally non- Manichean . Indeed, for pagans, good and evil exist (to a certain extent), but they are inseparable. The gods are neither absolutely good nor absolutely bad, like humans, and represent a complete break with the major monotheistic religions. While the concept of judgment of souls exists in some pagan traditions, it is a later addition to the original beliefs.

Diversity and Interpenetration of Pantheons

Furthermore, these religions are not dogmatic . Originating from long oral traditions, there are no sacred texts or formal religious codes. While paganisms certainly advocated respect for certain values, no pagan was ever excommunicated or punished by temples or priests for breaking with these values. This led to the expression that there were "as many pagans as there were paganisms," which is, in a way, true.

Finally, these religions include as many gods as goddesses , hence the importance of women equal to that of men . This principle, while present in religion, was rarely applied in ancient societies. Nevertheless, if the teachings of these religions had been strictly followed, sexual discrimination should not have existed in pagan societies.

There are, of course, other points in common between these religions, but this definition already allows us to give a non-exhaustive list of pagan religions. The names given in parentheses are the current names of these religions : Roman religion ( Numinism ), Greek ( Hellenism ), Celtic ( Celticism or Druidism ), Germanic-Scandinavian ( Asatru or Norse ), Egyptian ( Khemitism ), pre-Islamic Arab religion, and Berber .

Survival and Renaissance of Paganism to the present day

Official Recognition and Modern Philosophy

Paganism, although forbidden throughout history by the three major monotheistic religions, reappeared from time to time , or even never ceased to exist (as in some Slavic countries). The Renaissance and the Reformation saw their share of pagans, as did the ^18th century and Romantics such as Wagner. Today, these religions have been officially recognized in some countries such as the Netherlands, Denmark, Iceland, etc. They are more often considered philosophies nowadays due to their concept of immanence (as opposed to monotheistic transcendence). Only the gods know whether these religions will resurface and regain their former glory, but if Gérard de Nerval was right, then:

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