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The notion of paganism, as it is generally understood today, was created by the early Christian Church. It was a label that Christians applied to others, one of the antitheses that were central to the process of Christian self-definition. As such, throughout history it was generally used in a derogatory sense.
There is "considerable disagreement as to the precise definition and the proper usage" of the term modern paganism. [6] Even within the academic field of pagan studies, there is no consensus about how contemporary paganism can best be defined. [7] Most scholars describe modern paganism as a broad array of different religions, not a single one. [8]
The right half of the front panel of the 7th-century Franks Casket, depicting the Anglo-Saxon (and wider Germanic) legend of Wayland the Smith. Anglo-Saxon paganism, sometimes termed Anglo-Saxon heathenism, Anglo-Saxon pre-Christian religion, Anglo-Saxon traditional religion, or Anglo-Saxon polytheism refers to the religious beliefs and practices followed by the Anglo-Saxons between the 5th ...
Celtic paganism, as practised by the ancient Celts, is a descendant of Proto-Celtic paganism, itself derived from Proto-Indo-European paganism.Many deities in Celtic mythologies have cognates in other Indo-European mythologies, such as Celtic Brigantia with Roman Aurora, Vedic Ushas, and Norse Aurvandill; Welsh Arianrhod with Greek Selene, Baltic Mėnuo, and Slavic Myesyats; and Irish Danu ...
Secular paganism is an outlook upholding virtues and principles associated with paganism while maintaining a secular worldview. Alternately called naturalistic paganism or humanistic paganism , approaches vary, but typically include the respect for living creatures and the Earth itself, while rejecting belief in deities.
Germanic religion was influenced by neighboring cultures, including that of the Celts, the Romans, and, later, by the Christian religion. Very few sources exist that were written by pagan adherents themselves; instead, most were written by outsiders and can thus present problems for reconstructing authentic Germanic beliefs and practices.
Three figures on the Skog tapestry; they have been interpreted as the Norse gods Odin (one eye), Thor (hammer in hand) and Freyr.. Old Norse religion, also known as Norse paganism, is a branch of Germanic religion which developed during the Proto-Norse period, when the North Germanic peoples separated into a distinct branch of the Germanic peoples.
Gothic paganism or Gothic polytheism was the original ... reiks Fritigern and the pagan reiks Athanaric prompted Roman ... Gothic Christians to worship the tribal gods.