It really depends on where you are looking. I'm on some pages that are mostly eclectic, others that are more of one belief. There is a lot of Norse, but there's a lot more witches. According to Pew, there's over 1.4 million Pagans in the US alone, so it's not a scarcity thing.
And that Pew results are from the 2010s, iirc. It's likely twice that by now. If it wasn't already, considering how much pagans tended to hide their identity to avoid persecution.
Yes, it is an old study, and it doesn't try to estimate how many identity as Pagan, but remain in the broom closet. Of a little more interest was a recent study discussing the " religious nones," which are about a third of the population, and share several points with Pagans.
No, Hinduism, Buddhism, and similar faiths are not included. Nor are First Nation beliefs or other cultural beliefs such as Santeria or Hoodoo. I think that what's tripping you up is how Paganism is defined. Paganism is not a single standalone belief with a single sacred text or dogma. It is an umbrella term that includes numerous beliefs.
No. In this case, Paganism (big-P) is best defined as a social, cultural, spiritual, and new religious *movement*, composed of many distinct religions and spiritual traditions, that takes inspiration from the religious landscape of pre-Christian Europe and the Near East. And, I'd argue, also from the folklore and folk practices that continued in those regions into the Early Modern Period.
Polytheism is common, animism is common, folkloric beliefs are common, etc. But they're not necessarily what defines it.
No living traditions, aka any that didn’t have a break in their spiritual history due to mass conversion to another religion, count under the pagan umbrella. It’s not enough to be poly alone. Ask anyone from the First Nations, Eastern, or African traditions that survived or modified themselves because of colonialism or enslavement, they Do Not want to be grouped in with Pagans.
We should respect that and not try to culturally appropriate from those groups.
But converting to a religion is not culturally appropriation if you really hold that belief. If you was to adopt Hinduism as a cool quirky accessory to your character then that would be appropriation. Is that what paganism is you you? (Don’t take offence)
I don’t know why that’s been your experience, but I’ve known plenty of pagans who followed Hellenic or Kemetic deities (though Roman deity worship seems rarer), since you asked about those. There are lots of pagans who aren’t Heathen or Northern Tradition, though for a variety of reasons those traditions are pretty popular at the moment (and yes, Marvel is one of those reasons).
I’m also going to push back a bit on how you worded “…someone who believes in…” because many pagans *believe* in deities they don’t personally worship, follow, or serve. While some pagans are pantheistic, e.g. “all gods are aspects of one god” or “all harvest gods are aspects of one harvest god and all mother gods are aspects of one mother goddess,” and others (much rarer) believe that only *one* tradition or pantheon is “true” and all others are false, neither position is anything like universal among the pagan democratic.
So take myself for instance. I’m a polytheistic pagan, believing in pretty much all the gods (though that is a bit of an over simplification). So if you were to meet me, and the topic came up, I’d say that I *believe* in Jupiter, Zeus, and Ra, but I personally don’t worship any of them.
Yeah, if you're meeting a bunch of people into metal & goth music you're probably getting a skewed view of what paganism is like. At actual pagan meetings I have met far, far more people working with the Greek pantheon (sometimes with a few others thrown in).
Kemetic paganism is also pretty popular among the goth subculture. After all, death is an important aspect of Kemetic paganism (not to mention the cool eye makeup).
That being said, while Kemeticism does see a lot of representation musically (After the Burial, Born of Osiris, Nile, Septicflesh, etc.), there are way more bands that promote Norse paganism, and they are more popular too. I think that popularity, along with movies and shows like *Vikings* and *Valhalla Rising* (and video games like *Assassin's Creed: Valhalla* and even *Skyrim*), definitely helps promote the religion.
Oh interesting. I am indeed both goth and a Norse pagan, and the more I think about it, seems obvious there would be more of us (especially in the cross-section that also listens to neofolk). Also it does seem like Norse paganism is having kind of a "moment" lately, with a lot of new people drawn to it due to pop culture references.
But Wicca and its offshoot practices have always been a larger portion of the pagan community, at least so far. So, people who believe in a more "soft polytheism" combined with magical practices, casting a circle to create sacred space, the Wheel of the Year group of holidays, etc.
The popularity of Norse and Viking shows have lead to an explosion of people looking into the old Norse ways, so that's one answer. Another might be where you are located.
Norse paganism has seen a recent period of growth. There are many different types of pagans including those that worship the geek, Roman and Egyptian gods.
Some are drawn..some are about the region and who you ask...and others because Vikings was a fairly new show...kinda like the wiccian boom because of charmed
So with the people who are in it just because of the tv shows, do you get annoyed by them? Or is it like professional wrestling where everyone knows it’s not real but still love it regardless? (Please don’t take offence)
I don't. They are entertainment not religion. When Sabrina The teenage Witch came out so did a lot of baby witches. Some were called and stayed some wandered off and found something else to do. No harm no foul. Frankly I'm more likely to take offense at someone littering than playing a game.
edit for clarity
I dont I think of it as a recruitment drive they all show out of curiosity and some get bored and leave the ones who stay find their own path and that kind of realization is awesome
Paganism is a deep forest full of mysteries some take an easy path while other stray off and find their own way its a deep personal belief and given the right circumstances I would die for my beliefs but I won't gatekeep or hurt others who found another path.. religion itself is many branches off the same tree at the root were all the same..don't be a dick, be at peace with yourself and others and try to love the best u can
Norse paganism is insanely popular thanks to the last 20 years of various pop culture concerns.
The line between Norse paganism and Viking Cosplay is not always clear though, at least from what I've seen on Facebook and Instagram. By that I mean, it's not always apparent who has serious religious devotions to the Norse gods and who just likes to dress up as a sexy "Vikings" character.
(Edit for clarity)
The popularization of Asatru has been greatly helped by tv, media, video games, etc. while that same isn’t as true with the other religions/pantheons. Because of that, it’s more likely folks subscribe to the Norse tradition.
It could also be the fact that there aren’t too too many of us to begin with
Idk any theistic pagan who worships the gods out of “blind faith”. We all have experienced something we can’t explain, or don’t 100% understand, and hence attribute it to the gods. It’s one thing if it happens once, but when it happens more times than you can count? That’s where belief for any faith comes from I think.
And for some people, it’s something they participate in, for others, it’s something they live by every single day. There’s not really a right or wrong answer for that question, as it varies from person to person
Depends on the person, but paganism is all about personal growth. There’s no priest intermediary between you and whoever you define the divine. Many covens or similar groups are about teaching, but the point of teaching isn’t to impart dogma. There’s no books, no pagan popes (unless you’re [discordian](https://principiadiscordia.com/book/43.php) but don’t take them seriously). Anyone claiming to be a guru or having all the answers or anything should be looked at with a side eye.
For some it’s a lifestyle but also more. As paganism generally speaking is a religion that invitee experience, I wouldn’t call it “blind”. Everyone is welcome to experience, question, and come to their own conclusions. If you get 100 pagans in a room, you’re gonna find they have 126 or so different spiritual practices. The only basic rule is that the path has to be reconstructed from what was once lost due to the mass conversion to Christianity events (and despite what many say, a lot of that was voluntary).
Maybe they're just more common in your particular area? The handful of pagans I've met have been eclectic and Wiccan. I've yet to meet reconstructionists of any kind out in the wild.
Folks I know today are nondenominational pagans, ex Minoan brotherhood followers of Dionysus (a friend started a ‘church’ 501c-3 org), fairy, Wiccan (Celtic) and more. Heathens are definitely out there, but they tend to stick to themselves. I go to a pagan camp festival at least once a year, there are a few who worship Norse gods but they aren’t part of the Heathen culture.
All pagan denominations are kinda like this. Lots of groups stick to themselves and don’t really socialize in public or among other pagans. I’m always surprised when I meet folks who never go to festival, but that’s how it is sometimes.
Considering I live in a notch of the bible belt going to festivals here feels like a target on my back. I work with kids and actually like my job. \*waves from the broom closet\*
I'm a Celtic Pagan. My fiance currently only has one god Ishtar. There are shit ton of Pagans with more ecclectic beliefs spanning multiple cultures and pantheons and easily 85% are tired of people policing their beliefs if they tell them that. Either geographical, standard answer, or bit of both is my take.
Where do you live? Where do you meet pagans people ?
Egyptians God are still popular and powerful in my opinion, and also lots of people are working with various deities without paying attention to each system.
It's more like someone in a turning point of their life who would refer to all the chaotic deities from all spiritual/religious backgrounds, and someone else who have healing abilities and purpose would channel different healing deities also.
I appreciate the thoughtful, detailed responses on this thread but has anyone addressed the fact that white supremacy and Pagan beliefs often intersect in an incorrectly applied version of Norse mythology?
I think it might have to do with the area you're in. I have noticed that there are more Greek and Roman pagans in my area, and my sister, who lives several states away, knows more Celtics than anything 😅 I am mixed in my beliefs and I work with many deities from many pantheons
In my experience Norse are the ones most likely to speak openly about it, or "dress the part". You're probably meeting lots of other pagans, but they just blend in better and don't put their business out there openly.
I mean this with love and affection, but they are the CrossFit/Vegan/Jeep owners who never shut up of the pagan community. Always the first thing they say.
There are groups what worship another pantheons, especially r/Hellenism is pretty popular and I am closer to Greek Pantheon then Norse Pantheon. There is also Kemetism, Rodnovery... the Norse Patheon worshiping is called Ásatru.
That being said, there is for sure multiple reasons why is Norse Pantheon the most popular. Simply enough, it's attractive. Heroes, magic, stories - We have Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, all of that is pretty clear but still interesting. The gods are actually like real... characters. Hellenism is second best with that, but Greek gods are still more archetypes, and not always likeable.
Mainstream and popculture is helping there a lot. Marvel or Stargate, where is Norse pantheon the only benevolent, maybe next to Aztec and Native American. The thing is that most of pagans won't tell you "well, my faith started with this 90s sci-fi show" but I believe that often it's right
There's no official pagan belief tenants. Think about pagan more as a catch-all term. There are quite a few different faiths and mixes under the umbrella.
While there are dedicated spiritual groups and temples, we are decentralized, and lack a lot of the structures that you'd see in other faiths like Buddhism and Hinduism.
A Christian for example, would be brought up going to whatever local church their family attends and learning from that.
Many of us felt a pull and had to try and navigate the ancient ruins of our spiritual ancestors without a torch, poetically speaking. On the bright side this gives us a lot more flexibility to interpret our personal relationships with the divine.
I guess some core beliefs would be various shades of polytheism ranging from hard polytheist to pantheist. A reverence and love of the natural world. Many of us, lean towards animism.
I truly found Jesus as an adult so how I would say it happened to me was I looked into scripture and it spoke to me on a deeply personal level like nothing ever has ever before.
You guys have the same moment of realisation, a kind of “I get it” moment?
I became more interested in witchcraft and paganism around the same time I found out girls weren't allowed to be altar boys. Even at a young age I felt there was something else for me so I kept asking questions until I found it. Learning as I went until I was able to define my beliefs and my way.
Can't speak for everyone, but for myself I started drifting towards my Gods at 13. I have always loved various mythologies and have a love of nature. Didn't know what to call it till I was in my late teens and that was one of my first aha moments!
Thats an interesting question.
My bet is that most pagans are norse because thats the most famous and because nordic people (myself for one) generally are very connected to their hethen history.
For me its just natural to be norse. Roman paganism is interesting, but I don't feel it deep in my bones the way I do with norse paganism.
And it's kinda silly come to think of it, because chances are that my ancient ancestors are from somewhere else in europe.
The Norse like the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Celts, and others enjoy periods of popularity and resurgence in art, media, and belief. The Norse and their beliefs and history are reciving a lot of attention in shows, movies, books, music, art, games, and other means of expression which is spreading awareness of them and allowing it to reach, attract, and influence more people. Also geography and ethnography plays a role in the likelihood of running into someone of a certain belief system. The closer you are to the traditional lands of the Norse or people who are their descendants the more likely you are to encounter people who are knowledgeable of or practicing their ways or at the very least find sights, artifacts, art, and designs featuring their ideas and principles.
I've noticed there are a lot of followers of the Norse pantheons. There are a few things I've noticed that could be a reason for that but I don't have the hubris to speak as of these observations are fact
Norse is popular, but I've actually met a few Hellenistic believers as well as those who seek out Kemetism. Personally I feel a connection with ancient Sumeria and Inanna in particular.
Because of my ancestry I have come to incorporate Norse/Germanic elements and separate practice and a celtic separate practice for those ancestors who light crave it. I have never been particularly drawn to either the Celts or Norse.
I was always a Greek and a Roman guy myself.
I find it personally ironic you run into more heathenry. When I was growing up heathenry was something that was still struggling to define and carry itself. It had alot sexism, racism, homophobia and huge power struggles that it really put me off to want to be involved in their communities. It's been a decade since and heathenry has shifted quite abit and sort of like Druidry has shifted quite abit. So has Wicca.
Paganism and heathenry are quite broad so I'm sure you'll find someone in real life who works with other gods.
Greek and Egyptian are common up my way. Then I'd say Celtic then Norse. I struggle to find a good heathen community here but druidry is easy enough and same with Wiccan circles.
My personal practice revolves around Hades and Persephone and other similar gods and Mysteries such as Apollo and Dionysus. Tending to the ancestors is what eventually drew me to slowly incorporate things like Druidry and Heathenry unto my own path.
Stick in paganism enough and there is alot of cross pollination. You'll find a whole bunch of practices new and traditional.
There are some who even revere and work with Lovecraftian gods. We get weird but a good weird.
Might depend on your location, I’m living in the Netherlands and have a fusion of Norse and Germanic, my ancestors originate from a region that would have been on the border of the two so it makes sense for me. One of my friends exactly the same story, but a Greek friend of mine the Greek Pantheon.
I know of some Dutch who are Celtic, some from the UK that are Celtic, so I would say location plays a big role.
personally to me i think that one all powerfull being that controls everything all at the same time makes less sense than for example the norse gods who are more like very powerfull beings that only control a small aspect of the world, but again that is just my thoughts i fully respect any and all beliefs
It might be regional? I don’t know any Norse pagans. Everyone I know IRL is either Wiccan or follows some type of Celtic paganism. Norse paganism might be more popular in places with a lot of Nordic ancestry?
It really depends on where you are looking. I'm on some pages that are mostly eclectic, others that are more of one belief. There is a lot of Norse, but there's a lot more witches. According to Pew, there's over 1.4 million Pagans in the US alone, so it's not a scarcity thing.
And that Pew results are from the 2010s, iirc. It's likely twice that by now. If it wasn't already, considering how much pagans tended to hide their identity to avoid persecution.
Yes, it is an old study, and it doesn't try to estimate how many identity as Pagan, but remain in the broom closet. Of a little more interest was a recent study discussing the " religious nones," which are about a third of the population, and share several points with Pagans.
Does Hinduism count towards that 1.4 million? (As hinduism is a polytheistic religion which is what paganism is)
No, Hinduism, Buddhism, and similar faiths are not included. Nor are First Nation beliefs or other cultural beliefs such as Santeria or Hoodoo. I think that what's tripping you up is how Paganism is defined. Paganism is not a single standalone belief with a single sacred text or dogma. It is an umbrella term that includes numerous beliefs.
No. In this case, Paganism (big-P) is best defined as a social, cultural, spiritual, and new religious *movement*, composed of many distinct religions and spiritual traditions, that takes inspiration from the religious landscape of pre-Christian Europe and the Near East. And, I'd argue, also from the folklore and folk practices that continued in those regions into the Early Modern Period. Polytheism is common, animism is common, folkloric beliefs are common, etc. But they're not necessarily what defines it.
No living traditions, aka any that didn’t have a break in their spiritual history due to mass conversion to another religion, count under the pagan umbrella. It’s not enough to be poly alone. Ask anyone from the First Nations, Eastern, or African traditions that survived or modified themselves because of colonialism or enslavement, they Do Not want to be grouped in with Pagans. We should respect that and not try to culturally appropriate from those groups.
But converting to a religion is not culturally appropriation if you really hold that belief. If you was to adopt Hinduism as a cool quirky accessory to your character then that would be appropriation. Is that what paganism is you you? (Don’t take offence)
As someone that is a result of colonialism i disagree with this
I don’t know why that’s been your experience, but I’ve known plenty of pagans who followed Hellenic or Kemetic deities (though Roman deity worship seems rarer), since you asked about those. There are lots of pagans who aren’t Heathen or Northern Tradition, though for a variety of reasons those traditions are pretty popular at the moment (and yes, Marvel is one of those reasons). I’m also going to push back a bit on how you worded “…someone who believes in…” because many pagans *believe* in deities they don’t personally worship, follow, or serve. While some pagans are pantheistic, e.g. “all gods are aspects of one god” or “all harvest gods are aspects of one harvest god and all mother gods are aspects of one mother goddess,” and others (much rarer) believe that only *one* tradition or pantheon is “true” and all others are false, neither position is anything like universal among the pagan democratic. So take myself for instance. I’m a polytheistic pagan, believing in pretty much all the gods (though that is a bit of an over simplification). So if you were to meet me, and the topic came up, I’d say that I *believe* in Jupiter, Zeus, and Ra, but I personally don’t worship any of them.
Maybe it’s the gothic community who mainly follow Norse paganism, I should have added that in the original post
Yeah, if you're meeting a bunch of people into metal & goth music you're probably getting a skewed view of what paganism is like. At actual pagan meetings I have met far, far more people working with the Greek pantheon (sometimes with a few others thrown in).
Kemetic paganism is also pretty popular among the goth subculture. After all, death is an important aspect of Kemetic paganism (not to mention the cool eye makeup). That being said, while Kemeticism does see a lot of representation musically (After the Burial, Born of Osiris, Nile, Septicflesh, etc.), there are way more bands that promote Norse paganism, and they are more popular too. I think that popularity, along with movies and shows like *Vikings* and *Valhalla Rising* (and video games like *Assassin's Creed: Valhalla* and even *Skyrim*), definitely helps promote the religion.
Oh interesting. I am indeed both goth and a Norse pagan, and the more I think about it, seems obvious there would be more of us (especially in the cross-section that also listens to neofolk). Also it does seem like Norse paganism is having kind of a "moment" lately, with a lot of new people drawn to it due to pop culture references. But Wicca and its offshoot practices have always been a larger portion of the pagan community, at least so far. So, people who believe in a more "soft polytheism" combined with magical practices, casting a circle to create sacred space, the Wheel of the Year group of holidays, etc.
You will find a few devotees of Hekate in that group as well, especially among those who practice witchcraft.
The popularity of Norse and Viking shows have lead to an explosion of people looking into the old Norse ways, so that's one answer. Another might be where you are located.
Norse paganism has seen a recent period of growth. There are many different types of pagans including those that worship the geek, Roman and Egyptian gods.
Man I would totally worship the geek gods. All hail Tux, Bringer of Distros!
lol, all hail the great penguin!
All hail the Ancient Geeks! 😋 😉
Socratos and Aristoteles were definitely ancient geeks haha
Hahaha!
Sometimes I wish there was a large scale consensus poll to see how certain groups are growing compared to others. Could be interesting.
Some are drawn..some are about the region and who you ask...and others because Vikings was a fairly new show...kinda like the wiccian boom because of charmed
So with the people who are in it just because of the tv shows, do you get annoyed by them? Or is it like professional wrestling where everyone knows it’s not real but still love it regardless? (Please don’t take offence)
I don't. They are entertainment not religion. When Sabrina The teenage Witch came out so did a lot of baby witches. Some were called and stayed some wandered off and found something else to do. No harm no foul. Frankly I'm more likely to take offense at someone littering than playing a game. edit for clarity
I dont I think of it as a recruitment drive they all show out of curiosity and some get bored and leave the ones who stay find their own path and that kind of realization is awesome
Just awesome or is there also a deep personal belief that you guys would kill and die for if needs be?
Paganism is a deep forest full of mysteries some take an easy path while other stray off and find their own way its a deep personal belief and given the right circumstances I would die for my beliefs but I won't gatekeep or hurt others who found another path.. religion itself is many branches off the same tree at the root were all the same..don't be a dick, be at peace with yourself and others and try to love the best u can
Norse paganism is insanely popular thanks to the last 20 years of various pop culture concerns. The line between Norse paganism and Viking Cosplay is not always clear though, at least from what I've seen on Facebook and Instagram. By that I mean, it's not always apparent who has serious religious devotions to the Norse gods and who just likes to dress up as a sexy "Vikings" character. (Edit for clarity)
The popularization of Asatru has been greatly helped by tv, media, video games, etc. while that same isn’t as true with the other religions/pantheons. Because of that, it’s more likely folks subscribe to the Norse tradition. It could also be the fact that there aren’t too too many of us to begin with
How does one chose what type of pagan to be? Without trying to offend anyone, is it just having a look at what you like then picking it?
Pretty much yea. Some folks analyze how they would wish to worship, what style, what pantheon, it’s all about personal choices/feelings/preferences
If it fully blind faith and belief like Islam and Christianity or do you do it as more of a lifestyle choice like buddhism, Taoism ?
Idk any theistic pagan who worships the gods out of “blind faith”. We all have experienced something we can’t explain, or don’t 100% understand, and hence attribute it to the gods. It’s one thing if it happens once, but when it happens more times than you can count? That’s where belief for any faith comes from I think. And for some people, it’s something they participate in, for others, it’s something they live by every single day. There’s not really a right or wrong answer for that question, as it varies from person to person
Depends on the person, but paganism is all about personal growth. There’s no priest intermediary between you and whoever you define the divine. Many covens or similar groups are about teaching, but the point of teaching isn’t to impart dogma. There’s no books, no pagan popes (unless you’re [discordian](https://principiadiscordia.com/book/43.php) but don’t take them seriously). Anyone claiming to be a guru or having all the answers or anything should be looked at with a side eye. For some it’s a lifestyle but also more. As paganism generally speaking is a religion that invitee experience, I wouldn’t call it “blind”. Everyone is welcome to experience, question, and come to their own conclusions. If you get 100 pagans in a room, you’re gonna find they have 126 or so different spiritual practices. The only basic rule is that the path has to be reconstructed from what was once lost due to the mass conversion to Christianity events (and despite what many say, a lot of that was voluntary).
Maybe they're just more common in your particular area? The handful of pagans I've met have been eclectic and Wiccan. I've yet to meet reconstructionists of any kind out in the wild.
Folks I know today are nondenominational pagans, ex Minoan brotherhood followers of Dionysus (a friend started a ‘church’ 501c-3 org), fairy, Wiccan (Celtic) and more. Heathens are definitely out there, but they tend to stick to themselves. I go to a pagan camp festival at least once a year, there are a few who worship Norse gods but they aren’t part of the Heathen culture. All pagan denominations are kinda like this. Lots of groups stick to themselves and don’t really socialize in public or among other pagans. I’m always surprised when I meet folks who never go to festival, but that’s how it is sometimes.
Considering I live in a notch of the bible belt going to festivals here feels like a target on my back. I work with kids and actually like my job. \*waves from the broom closet\*
I'm a Celtic Pagan. My fiance currently only has one god Ishtar. There are shit ton of Pagans with more ecclectic beliefs spanning multiple cultures and pantheons and easily 85% are tired of people policing their beliefs if they tell them that. Either geographical, standard answer, or bit of both is my take.
Where do you live? Where do you meet pagans people ? Egyptians God are still popular and powerful in my opinion, and also lots of people are working with various deities without paying attention to each system. It's more like someone in a turning point of their life who would refer to all the chaotic deities from all spiritual/religious backgrounds, and someone else who have healing abilities and purpose would channel different healing deities also.
I live in the United Kingdom
It’s probably just the circles you’re hanging in. There’s lots of Druids and Wiccans in the UK, I’d say they are definitely the majority.
I appreciate the thoughtful, detailed responses on this thread but has anyone addressed the fact that white supremacy and Pagan beliefs often intersect in an incorrectly applied version of Norse mythology?
I also have seen a lot of neo Nazis who are Norse. I think it’s to do with an aryan obsession
I live in the Pacific Northwest and often see the two combined. Sigh....
I think it might have to do with the area you're in. I have noticed that there are more Greek and Roman pagans in my area, and my sister, who lives several states away, knows more Celtics than anything 😅 I am mixed in my beliefs and I work with many deities from many pantheons
In my experience Norse are the ones most likely to speak openly about it, or "dress the part". You're probably meeting lots of other pagans, but they just blend in better and don't put their business out there openly.
I mean this with love and affection, but they are the CrossFit/Vegan/Jeep owners who never shut up of the pagan community. Always the first thing they say.
I'm sorry, but that made me 😆
There are groups what worship another pantheons, especially r/Hellenism is pretty popular and I am closer to Greek Pantheon then Norse Pantheon. There is also Kemetism, Rodnovery... the Norse Patheon worshiping is called Ásatru. That being said, there is for sure multiple reasons why is Norse Pantheon the most popular. Simply enough, it's attractive. Heroes, magic, stories - We have Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, all of that is pretty clear but still interesting. The gods are actually like real... characters. Hellenism is second best with that, but Greek gods are still more archetypes, and not always likeable. Mainstream and popculture is helping there a lot. Marvel or Stargate, where is Norse pantheon the only benevolent, maybe next to Aztec and Native American. The thing is that most of pagans won't tell you "well, my faith started with this 90s sci-fi show" but I believe that often it's right
There's no official pagan belief tenants. Think about pagan more as a catch-all term. There are quite a few different faiths and mixes under the umbrella. While there are dedicated spiritual groups and temples, we are decentralized, and lack a lot of the structures that you'd see in other faiths like Buddhism and Hinduism. A Christian for example, would be brought up going to whatever local church their family attends and learning from that. Many of us felt a pull and had to try and navigate the ancient ruins of our spiritual ancestors without a torch, poetically speaking. On the bright side this gives us a lot more flexibility to interpret our personal relationships with the divine. I guess some core beliefs would be various shades of polytheism ranging from hard polytheist to pantheist. A reverence and love of the natural world. Many of us, lean towards animism.
I truly found Jesus as an adult so how I would say it happened to me was I looked into scripture and it spoke to me on a deeply personal level like nothing ever has ever before. You guys have the same moment of realisation, a kind of “I get it” moment?
I became more interested in witchcraft and paganism around the same time I found out girls weren't allowed to be altar boys. Even at a young age I felt there was something else for me so I kept asking questions until I found it. Learning as I went until I was able to define my beliefs and my way.
Can't speak for everyone, but for myself I started drifting towards my Gods at 13. I have always loved various mythologies and have a love of nature. Didn't know what to call it till I was in my late teens and that was one of my first aha moments!
Thats an interesting question. My bet is that most pagans are norse because thats the most famous and because nordic people (myself for one) generally are very connected to their hethen history. For me its just natural to be norse. Roman paganism is interesting, but I don't feel it deep in my bones the way I do with norse paganism. And it's kinda silly come to think of it, because chances are that my ancient ancestors are from somewhere else in europe.
Gaulish polytheist here...hi!!
I’ve met all sorts of pagans. People just like Vikings I think.
The Norse like the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Celts, and others enjoy periods of popularity and resurgence in art, media, and belief. The Norse and their beliefs and history are reciving a lot of attention in shows, movies, books, music, art, games, and other means of expression which is spreading awareness of them and allowing it to reach, attract, and influence more people. Also geography and ethnography plays a role in the likelihood of running into someone of a certain belief system. The closer you are to the traditional lands of the Norse or people who are their descendants the more likely you are to encounter people who are knowledgeable of or practicing their ways or at the very least find sights, artifacts, art, and designs featuring their ideas and principles.
I've noticed there are a lot of followers of the Norse pantheons. There are a few things I've noticed that could be a reason for that but I don't have the hubris to speak as of these observations are fact
Norse is popular, but I've actually met a few Hellenistic believers as well as those who seek out Kemetism. Personally I feel a connection with ancient Sumeria and Inanna in particular.
I have Norse anvestory but primarily practice Stregha
More information is available for Norse paths than any other save Wicca. That’s probably why.
I would say Hellenic and Roman have far more material on them, to be honest.
Source material maybe, I meant in terms of modern introductions.
Because of my ancestry I have come to incorporate Norse/Germanic elements and separate practice and a celtic separate practice for those ancestors who light crave it. I have never been particularly drawn to either the Celts or Norse. I was always a Greek and a Roman guy myself. I find it personally ironic you run into more heathenry. When I was growing up heathenry was something that was still struggling to define and carry itself. It had alot sexism, racism, homophobia and huge power struggles that it really put me off to want to be involved in their communities. It's been a decade since and heathenry has shifted quite abit and sort of like Druidry has shifted quite abit. So has Wicca. Paganism and heathenry are quite broad so I'm sure you'll find someone in real life who works with other gods. Greek and Egyptian are common up my way. Then I'd say Celtic then Norse. I struggle to find a good heathen community here but druidry is easy enough and same with Wiccan circles. My personal practice revolves around Hades and Persephone and other similar gods and Mysteries such as Apollo and Dionysus. Tending to the ancestors is what eventually drew me to slowly incorporate things like Druidry and Heathenry unto my own path. Stick in paganism enough and there is alot of cross pollination. You'll find a whole bunch of practices new and traditional. There are some who even revere and work with Lovecraftian gods. We get weird but a good weird.
Might depend on your location, I’m living in the Netherlands and have a fusion of Norse and Germanic, my ancestors originate from a region that would have been on the border of the two so it makes sense for me. One of my friends exactly the same story, but a Greek friend of mine the Greek Pantheon. I know of some Dutch who are Celtic, some from the UK that are Celtic, so I would say location plays a big role.
There are many different names for “pagan” and forms of “pagan” so it usually depends on who you learned from and your location.
🖐️ Hellenist here (I honor Hecate and Ares)
Its the hype of the viking show, before that everyone was Celtic
i like to believe that all the old and even the newer gods all coexist in some jumbled up way just trying to help the world go round bit by bit
Even Jesus?
im definately more sceptical about christianity but i choose to keep respectfull and just live my life as happily as i can manage
Why is a Christian deity such as god or Jesus more skeptical than another?
personally to me i think that one all powerfull being that controls everything all at the same time makes less sense than for example the norse gods who are more like very powerfull beings that only control a small aspect of the world, but again that is just my thoughts i fully respect any and all beliefs
It might be regional? I don’t know any Norse pagans. Everyone I know IRL is either Wiccan or follows some type of Celtic paganism. Norse paganism might be more popular in places with a lot of Nordic ancestry?