What is it?, Movement, Battersea Shield, Lindow Man, The violence, Roman deities, The cult of Cybele, Christianity

In the modern era, paganism has been remodeled as a religion of the occult and magic. However, the roots of paganism go back far beyond our present-day notions. It was not a magic cult, but instead a very fluid religion with nature as forms as gods.

The first people recorded as pagans were the Celts. Every Celtic tribe had slightly different pagan traditions. They wanted good relations with the gods so that nature would treat them well. It may sound wonderful, but they also had brutal sacrificial rituals for animals and humans!

With the rise of Christianity, paganism faded into the background and stayed there until the 20th century, when people became fascinated with ancient traditions.

From wicker men to the Vikings, click through to learn about the evolution of paganism.

What is it?

Paganism is a religion that is polytheistic, meaning that there are many gods. Unlike many religions who believe gods reside in the sky, or down below, pagan gods are usually nature itself.

Romans

It was the Romans who decided to call these people who worshipped many gods, as opposed to their one god, pagans. People who were 'pagans' did not call themselves so until the 20th century.

Movement

When the Roman Empire expanded across the continent, the many Celtic tribes fled to modern-day UK and Ireland. This is why there is a strong Celtic and pagan legacy there.

Pagans

Before the Roman Empire assimilated many of the Celtic civilizations, the people who lived in these tribes were at the complete mercy of nature.

It is a natural human instinct to want to control the things around us in order to keep us safe. Some historians have hypothesized that Celtic people started to believe in animal and plant spirits in order to feel a sense of control.

Battersea Shield

An example of what they might have sacrificed is the Battersea Shield. It was found in the River Thames, and so historians think pagans might have sent it down the river as a sacrifice to the river god.

Lindow Man

The body was found in a peat bog, the ideal place for a body to be preserved. Scientists used carbon dating to place his year of death between 2 BCE and 119 CE. The man was hit on the head, strangled, and had his throat cut.

Why?

According to Professor Miranda Aldhouse Green, the sacrifice would have taken place if there was a crisis such as a crop failure. The person sacrificed was usually someone closely related to the crisis In this case, he might have been a farmer.

The violence

The pagans thought that the more violent the ritual was, the more it would please the gods. They used different torture techniques to please a variety of gods.

Druids

Some believe that within the pagan religion there was a higher class of educated priests called Druids. Evidence from Roman literature suggests their existence, however, it is likely that they are not the power-wielding warlocks that medieval myths make them out to be.

Roman deities

The Romans took the gods of the Celts and matched them with their own gods in a human form. For example, instead of just Mars, the Celtic Roman god was called Lenus Mars. Mars is the Roman god of war, and Lenus is the Celtic god of healing.

The cult of Cybele

In order to join the cult of Cybele, for example, men would have to castrate themselves with a large clamp. In exchange, they would receive eternal salvation.

Christianity

By the 4th century CE, Jesus (c. 4 BCE–30/33 CE) had lived and died and his influence was spreading. In the 4th century BCE, Emperor Constantine (c. 280-337 CE) defeated his rival Maxentius. The night after the battle, Constantine dreamt of a fiery cross and believed it to be a sign from the Christian God.

Changes

From this moment on, Christianity was the dominant religion all over Europe. Pagan practices had been phased out or completely integrated into new Christian rituals. However, soon another set of pagans were about to spread their natural religion.

Vikings

There was a slight resurgence in pagan activity when the Vikings expanded their territory in the 8th century CE. Although their presence was not overwhelming, they brought pagan gods back to Europe.

Wicca

People during the Romantic Era (1800-1850) were particularly interested in the occult. Consequently, they borrowed some of the magical practices that supposedly came from pagan culture. From this, a new religion focusing on magic developed in the 20th century called Wicca.